In February, a report was issued stating that Teflon might emit a suspected carcinogen. The media reported the news, a frenzy of fear ensued and people started dumping their non-stick cookware.

HealthDay News has taken the time to talk with George B. Corcoran, a noted toxicologist, chairman of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Wayne State University in Detroit and a member of the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) advisory committee that issued the report.

First, Corcoran says, there’s no need to panic. The offending compound—perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)—is only labeled a “likely carcinogen” and, he adds, the evidence for PFOA-related harm from everyday cooking is slim.

Actually, PFOA is called an “intermediate chemical” by industrial chemists—a compound produced during the manufacturing process that may be present in the finished product only in small amounts or not at all. Just to be safe, the EPA and the industry have already made moves to eliminate PFOA from Teflon and other stain-resistant coatings.

The EPA’s website states, “The information that EPA has available does not indicate that the routine use of household products poses a concern. At the present time, EPA does not believe there is any reason for consumers to stop using any products because of concerns about PFOA.

“EPA wants to emphasize that it does not have any indication that the public is being exposed to PFOA through the use of Teflon®-coated or other trademarked nonstick cookware.”

That’s a relief to those of us who like to cook but hate scrubbing pots and pans.