Home Safety / Products / Overheated Non-Stick Cookware and Self-Cleaning Oven Cycles (PTFE Pyrolysis, PFIB)

Overheated Non-Stick Cookware and Self-Cleaning Oven Cycles (PTFE Pyrolysis, PFIB) — household safety profile

Low risk

An empty non-stick pan on a high gas burner reaches 400–500°C in 3–5 minutes.

What is this product?

An empty non-stick pan on a high gas burner reaches 400–500°C in 3–5 minutes. At 300°C, polytetrafluoroethylene begins to decompose.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Base ingredients

Contaminant

Who's most at risk

  • Children — Developing endocrine and neurological systems, higher exposure per body weight

How to use it more safely

  • Keep cookware below 500°F (260°C) during normal cooking
  • Ensure adequate kitchen ventilation during use
  • Use on stovetop at medium heat or lower
  • Allow self-cleaning ovens to cool completely before opening

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Identified safety concern — PFIB OSHA IDLH = 0.1 ppm (20× more acutely toxic than phosgene by LC50); delayed pulmonary edema 1–24 hours post-exposure; no antidote; polymer fume fever (Teflon flu) common in humans; documented ...

Green flags — what to look for

  • EPA Safer Choice certified — Meets EPA criteria for safer chemical ingredients

Safer alternatives

  • Stainless steel cookware — No PTFE coating; tolerates high heat without fume emissions
  • Cast iron cookware — Durable, inert surface; no chemical coatings or decomposition risk
  • Ceramic-coated cookware — PTFE-free alternative with non-stick properties; lower pyrolysis risk

Frequently asked questions

What's in Overheated Non-Stick Cookware and Self-Cleaning Oven Cycles (PTFE Pyrolysis, PFIB)?

This product type can contain: Perfluoroisobutylene (PFIB), Acetaldehyde, among others. Click any compound name above for the full safety profile.

Who should be careful with Overheated Non-Stick Cookware and Self-Cleaning Oven Cycles (PTFE Pyrolysis, PFIB)?

Vulnerable populations identified for this product type: children.

How can I use Overheated Non-Stick Cookware and Self-Cleaning Oven Cycles (PTFE Pyrolysis, PFIB) more safely?

Keep cookware below 500°F (260°C) during normal cooking; Ensure adequate kitchen ventilation during use; Use on stovetop at medium heat or lower

Are there safer alternatives to Overheated Non-Stick Cookware and Self-Cleaning Oven Cycles (PTFE Pyrolysis, PFIB)?

Yes — consider: Stainless steel cookware; Cast iron cookware; Ceramic-coated cookware. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →