Lawsuit Slides Off Manufacturer of Leading Non-Stick Cookware
June 09 2009
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A federal court has dismissed a group of consolidated cases against the manufacturer of the leading non-stick cookware brand. The 22 suits alleged that the company knew for more than 20 years that cookware containing non-stick coating could make consumers sick but it concealed the evidence.
The actions alleged that, when heated to normal cooking temperatures, non-stick pans release toxic particles that pose a health risk to consumers. The suits specifically singled out perfluorooctanoic acid, colloquially known as PFOA, as the culprit of the emissions. However, U.S. District Judge Ronald Longstaff found that individual issues differing among the plaintiffs would each require their own inquiry, making the suits improper.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that PFOA is likely a cancer-causing agent in humans. An EPA study has shown the chemical to be present in the bloodstream of 90 percent of Americans.