According to Neil McIntosh, The Cookware Company’s UK & Ireland country manager, there is a “steady and growing awareness about PFAS-free cooking,” following media coverage. The new UK team (headed up by Neil) is now working on an awareness campaign to build on the increased interest.
GreenPan (from The Cookware Company) first brought its ‘healthy ceramic non-stick’ cookware to market in 2007 and has taken a leading role in the fast-growing move towards PFAS-free cookware across Europe. PFAS (poly- or perfluorinated alkyl substances) are manufactured chemicals used to make everyday items resistant to water, oil and dirt. They can be found on certain types of non-stick cookware as well as items like raincoats, food packaging and cosmetics.
Neil acknowledges: “At The Cookware Company, with our leading ceramic non-stick brand GreenPan, we are passionate advocates for the PFAS-free movement. We know that some of our retail partners are aware of the concept of PFAS-free, but it is probably something that consumers know less about.”
Highlighting a feature by BBC journalist Christina Ro entitled: ‘The race to replace persistent chemicals in our homes,’ Neil states: “The recent BBC article drew attention to the idea that these PFAS chemicals are ‘persistent’ – also called ‘forever chemicals’ – and, with a growing number of high profile media articles about the subject, more people will become more aware. But there is plenty more to be done to educate the consumer about PFAS-free cooking, so watch this space!”
Neil also notes that the 2019 film Dark Waters brought the concept of PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ (some taking as long as 1,000 years to break down completely) to a wider audience. He reports: “There is a growing movement endorsed and fully supported by The Cookware Company to make people more aware of PFAS and how we can avoid using them. The ‘PFAS-free project’ is run by Fidra, an environmental charity working to reduce chemical and plastic pollution in our seas, on our beaches and in the wider environment. They encourage manufacturers and retailers to work towards being PFAS-free – the latest part of their campaign for instance is asking major supermarkets to remove PFAS from all food packaging.”
However, Neil emphasises that one of The Cookware Company’s key messages is that: “PFAS-free does not mean you compromise on quality or performance – or be prohibitively expensive.” He states that GreenPan’s recently introduced Barcelona and Premiere Collections offer “outstanding product design and performance at a mid-premium price point.”
Top: GreenPan Premiere Non-Stick Wok.
