SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Non-stick pans have become a kitchen staple for many, making it an easy way to flip an egg or stir fry without the mess.
“That’s just our go to pan,” says San Diego resident Tia Kuhul. “Cast iron is too heavy. I can use aluminum, but it takes a lot of extra lubricant to keep the things from sticking.”
But the convenience of nonstick pans comes with a harmful cost. And now, state lawmakers have passed a bill to ban products made with PFAS, widely known as "forever chemicals". The bill now heading to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.
"We go out of our way to stay healthy, to eat the right foods, to exercise, to not use environmentally dangerous things, but I never thought about the pans, to tell you the truth,” Kuhul says.
So what are PFAS?
They’re chemicals used to make products water-resistant or nonstick, but the worry is that the actual chemical doesn’t break down easily.
"We are now finding it just about everywhere," says UCSD Public Health Professor Jose Suarez. "We're finding it in water sources. We're finding it in food chains and even in humans.”
If Governor Newsom signs the bill, California would begin phasing out PFAS in consumer products. By 2028, food packaging and plastic foodware would be banned. By 2030, cookware with PFAS, like some nonstick pans, would also be off store shelves.
"They have been associated with certain cancers, like kidney and testicular cancer," Suarez says.
"Removal of that would be wonderful because there are actually healthy options and if the others are removed then it just helps us all in general," San Diego Resident Suzanne Copeland says.
But not everyone supports the change. The California Chamber of Commerce argues the bill could hurt industries since PFAS are also used in products like solar panels, EV batteries, and even surgical devices.
The governor has until October 12 to take action.
