Designer cookware brands promising “nontoxic” and “ceramic” products face growing regulatory and scientific concerns about potentially hazardous chemicals hidden in their nonstick coatings.
Tom Perkins reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Cookware brands like Caraway, Our Place, and GreenPan market their products as “ceramic” and “nontoxic,” though independent testing and internal documents suggest they contain potentially toxic substances including titanium dioxide, lead, mercury, and siloxanes.
- These pans are not traditional ceramic but are coated in a sol-gel-derived “quasi-ceramic” layer that can degrade under high heat, potentially leaching unknown chemicals into food.
- Washington state has begun requiring disclosure of nonstick ingredients in these pans, citing concerns over PFAS replacements and calling for greater transparency for consumers.
Key quote:
"It shouldn’t be up to consumers to sleuth and try to figure out the ingredients in pans so they can protect the health of themselves and their families.”
— Laurie Valeriano, executive director of Toxic Free Future
Why this matters:
“Nonstick” and “nontoxic” cookware claims often blur the line between marketing and science, especially when key chemical ingredients remain undisclosed. These pans can contain substances like titanium dioxide nanoparticles or siloxanes, which may be harmful when ingested or heated. Titanium dioxide, for example, is banned from food use in the European Union due to cancer concerns but is still allowed in cookware in the U.S. Without transparency or oversight, consumers are left vulnerable, trusting in green branding without understanding what might be migrating into their meals. The issue highlights larger systemic gaps in U.S. chemical regulation and consumer protection, especially in kitchen products tied directly to food and health.
Related: New research finds titanium dioxide nanoparticles may disrupt hormones and raise blood sugar
