On Sat, 15 Nov 2003 15:56:12 GMT, (dalton) wrote:

>KATU 2 News - Portland, Oregon
>www.katu.com
>
>Can Teflon make you sick?
>
>November 14, 2003 - Teflon, one of the most popular non-stick pan
>products, can emit fumes that make you sick if it is allowed to get
>hot enough. According to ABCNews, the makers of Teflon have known
>about the problems for years.
>
>To learn about the health problem, ABCNews went to the kitchen with
>members of the Environmental Working Group.
>
>They say that when a Teflon coated pan reaches 554-degrees, ultra-fine
>particles start coming off the pan. The particles can imbed in the
>lungs and lead to "Teflon Flu."
>
>The illness causes flu-like symptoms, including headache, backache,
>and a temperature between 100 and 104 degrees.
>
>The hotter a Teflon pan gets, the more chemicals are released and at
>680 degrees, six toxic gases can begin to come off of heated Teflon.
>
>The Teflon flu is something DuPont has known about for years and with
>normal cooking, pans don't get hot enough to present a problem.
>
>In a test done by ABCNews, a piece of bacon was just beginning to get
>crisp when a Teflon pan went past the initial danger point of 500
>degrees -- the temperature Dupont says is never exceeded under normal
>cooking conditions at home.
>
>The federal government is now conducting an urgent review of the
>chemical involved in making Teflon for possible long-term harm.
>
>================================================= =========
>

That report on ABC last night was enough for the wife and I! We went
right out and bought us a new set of Calphalon pots and pans, came
back home and got all our old teflon coated pots and pans out of the
cabinet and through them right in the trash can.

Damn, I wonder if the ABC Executives own stock in Calphalon?

Regards,
Bill