05/10/2026
📣 PSA: Just because something's for sale in Australia… doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Australia only banned PFOA — a PFAS proven to cause kidney and testicular cancer — in July 2025.
Let that sink in:
A chemical that the World Health Organisation has now classified as a known human carcinogen was used in non-stick coatings for decades.
Teflon-coated pans containing PFOA were sold by Tefal from the 1950s until 2013. But, even though Tefal says they stopped using it, there was no regulation over the many brands and cheap imports who likely were still using it. That leaves a good decade between when the dangers of PFOA were known to when Australian banned it last year.
Most non-stick pans now rely on another PFAS "forever chemical" called PTFE. Manufacturers insist these newer PFAS chemicals are “safe”… "as long as the pan isn’t overheated, and the coating isn’t scratched". 🤞
But, no one has proven these replacement chemicals are unequivocally safe — not after long-term exposure, not after years of use, and not under real kitchen conditions.
It is well known that PFAS don’t break down and stay in our bodies for years. They’re linked with hormone disruption, thyroid issues, liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced kidney function, and several cancers.
Unfortunately, humans are crash test dummies until chemicals are proven unsafe. That seems the wrong way around, don't you agree?
💚 Meanwhile, safer choices do exist! Your PFAS-free cookware options are: cast or solid iron, stainless steel, ceramic-coated, and glass or stoneware.
It's no secret that at Biome we are huge fans of Australian made, last for life, solid iron Solidteknics, where you create the non stick surface through seasoning.
Want to learn more about why non stick pans are risky and how you can make the switch to healthier cooking? Read our blog on the topic
www.biome.com.au/blogs/eco-home/are-non-stick-pans-safe-what-you-need-to-know
