SACRAMENTO – The Environmental Working Group is urging celebrity chef Rachael Ray to drop her opposition to a California bill that would eliminate toxic cookware in the state. EWG is calling on Ray to support the legislation, now being debated in the state Senate.
The legislation, Senate Bill 682, would ban the sale of cookware in the state containing the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. One of the PFAS covered by the bill is polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE.
In a recent letter to state lawmakers on behalf of the cookware industry, Ray defended PTFE as “safe and effective” when used responsibly.
EWG sent an August 27 letter to Ray strongly disagreeing with this claim. EWG cites independent science and regulatory bodies in the U.S. and abroad that classify PFAS, including PTFE, as harmful and highly persistent in the environment. These chemicals are linked to cancer, hormone disruption, reduced fertility, developmental harm, liver disease and weakened immunity.
EWG is calling on Ray to leverage her platform to champion safer alternatives and demand corporate accountability – not to defend PTFE.
“As one of the most trusted public figures in cooking, Rachael Ray has a unique opportunity to lead the industry toward safe, sustainable cookware,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, EWG’s senior vice president, California. “We urge her to support SB 682 and protect families from unnecessary exposure to toxic PFAS.
“Californians deserve cookware that’s genuinely safe, not coated with chemicals tied to cancer, hormone disruption, developmental damage and weakened immunity,” said Del Chiaro. “Rachel Ray has the influence to help make that a reality for millions of families across the state.”
Exposure to PTFE
PFAS from PTFE-coated pans can end up in food and the air. As pans wear down, the coating can flake or degrade into PFAS-laden microplastics, which researchers have detected in human urine and semen and which have been linked to health harms, including reduced sperm count.
When overheated, PTFE releases fumes so toxic that manufacturers warn owners not to keep pet birds in the kitchen. These same fumes can sicken people. Hundreds of suspected cases of “Teflon flu” were reported last year alone, noted EWG in its letter to Ray.
PFAS contamination has already polluted the drinking water of an estimated 25 million Californians, and the public will pay for the exposure and cleanup, through higher water and health care bills.
In the Golden State alone, health care costs tied to PFAS exposure are estimated between $5.5 and $8.7 billion annually.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
