• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

Household products that may contain PTFE

itzmered

Welcome to Parrotdise
Super Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/27/09
Messages
25,728
Location
Minnesota
Real Name
Chris
There are a lot of products on the market that may contain PTFE or PFOA, more commonly known as teflon. PTFE and PFOA are very dangerous to our birds. Non stick coatings and surfaces are made by many different companies and manufacturers, under many different brand names. You need to be alert when purchasing products that contain the words: non stick, PTFE, PFOA and polytetrafluoroethylene. Do not rely on just a manufacturer or brand name. Here is a list of products that may contain it. Please read labels and look for the words nonstick, PTFE, PFOA and Polytetraflouethylene.

Some Products That Use Polytetraflouethylene: (Please check this list often as more products will be added ~ New items will be added to top of list).

Popcorn popper air & oil types
Heat lamps
Portable heaters
Sole plates on irons
Ironing board covers
Burners on stove tops
Drip pans for burners
Broiler pans
Griddles
Many cooking utensils
Woks
Waffle makers
Electric skillets
Deep fryers, crock pots,
Hot air popcorn poppers
Coffee makers
Bread makers
Non-stick rolling pins
Lollipop molds
Corkscrews
Never-Stick-Stainless Steel
Stockpots
Roasters
Non-stick gingerbread molds
Pizza pans
Tortilla presses
Hair Straighteners
Microwave popcorn bags

...and many more! Please check out products thoroughly before using them around your birds. Safety is our number one concern.
 
Last edited:

bird-lover

Checking out the neighborhood
Joined
8/12/10
Messages
2
There are a lot of products on the market that may contain PTFE, more commonly known as teflon. PTFE is very dangerous to our birds. Non stick coatings and surfaces are made by many different companies and manufacturers, under many different brand names. You need to be alert when purchasing products that contain the words: non stick, PTFE, and polytetrafluoroethylene. Do not rely on just a manufacturer or brand name. Here is a list of products that may contain it. Please read labels and look for the words nonstick, PTFE and Polytetraflouethylene.

Some Products That Use Polytetraflouethylene: (Please check this list often as more products will be added ~ New items will be added to top of list).

Popcorn popper air & oil types
Heat lamps
Portable heaters
Sole plates on irons
Ironing board covers
Burners on stove tops
Drip pans for burners
Broiler pans
Griddles
Many cooking utensils
Woks
Waffle makers
Electric skillets
Deep fryers, crock pots,
Hot air popcorn poppers
Coffee makers
Bread makers
Non-stick rolling pins
Lollipop molds
Corkscrews
Never-Stick-Stainless Steel
Stockpots
Roasters
Non-stick gingerbread molds
Pizza pans
Tortilla presses

...and many more! Please check out products thoroughly before using them around your birds. Safety is our number one concern.
hello,

do you know anything about space heaters having teflon?

thank you, Jennifer
 

itzmered

Welcome to Parrotdise
Super Administrator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/27/09
Messages
25,728
Location
Minnesota
Real Name
Chris

Roxy

Strolling the yard
Joined
12/4/10
Messages
84
Location
Michigan
I've been told and read about the dangers PTFE and teflon. Does anybody know if there is a way to check if an item contains PTFE? I have a Belgium waffle maker, that I used to love to use but used very seldom (maybe 3 or 4 times a year) that is non-stick :( If I am going to use it, is there a recommended distance away any birds I may have should be? Thanks!
 

Roxy

Strolling the yard
Joined
12/4/10
Messages
84
Location
Michigan
I've done a little research but can not find anything with a recommended safe distance:( I suppose it is just going to be in the air. I did find this that may be helpful to others on another site:
Under normal cooking conditions PTFE-coated cookware is stable and safe. Many studies have found that PTFE-coated pans must be heated to above 536°F to release toxic particles and fumes, in a reaction called "pyrolysis." This is a very high temperature, and is rarely reached during normal cooking. Most cooking in PTFE-coated cookware is performed at temperatures between 250° and 400°F. On the other hand, if a PTFE-coated pan is allowed to boil dry or an unfilled pan is heated on HIGH, toxic fumes can result. PTFE-coated drip pans (pans under the burners) will reach over 600°F or higher within minutes during normal use because of their close proximity to the heating element of the burner.
Guess I won't be using that waffle maker anymore:(
 

Roxy

Strolling the yard
Joined
12/4/10
Messages
84
Location
Michigan
I just came across an article that mentioned shatter proof light bulbs! It said a poultry facility changed 48 lights bulbs over to those and within 72 hours 52% of the chicks in the facility had died:(
 

birdlover82

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
6,080
Location
Idaho
Real Name
Susan
I've been told and read about the dangers PTFE and teflon. Does anybody know if there is a way to check if an item contains PTFE? I have a Belgium waffle maker, that I used to love to use but used very seldom (maybe 3 or 4 times a year) that is non-stick :( If I am going to use it, is there a recommended distance away any birds I may have should be? Thanks!
I used to use mine out on the back porch.:lol: Same with my griddle. Where we live now though doesn't have a conveniently place outlet to do that.:(
 

Ranyart

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
2,414
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Pennie
hello,

do you know anything about space heaters having teflon?

thank you, Jennifer
I just got an EdenPure space heater and promptly emailed the company regarding Teflon. They answered within one day that no teflon is used in their manufacturing process ever. I must say, it's a great portable heater with a thermostat and remote. No hot parts accessible - birds could land right on it without any problem. I highly recommend it.
 

saroj12

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/15/09
Messages
60,179
Location
fl
Real Name
saroj
I just got an EdenPure space heater and promptly emailed the company regarding Teflon. They answered within one day that no teflon is used in their manufacturing process ever. I must say, it's a great portable heater with a thermostat and remote. No hot parts accessible - birds could land right on it without any problem. I highly recommend it.
Which model Pennie?
Or a link perhaps?:)
It sounds exactly what I'm looking for!:)
 

lamagdalena

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
10/18/09
Messages
4,282
Location
houston
Real Name
Erika
is it okay to cook their food on teflon pots? my kids are no where near there, so the fumes arent a problem.. but i was wondering if it affects the food any?
 

Ranyart

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
2,414
Location
Pennsylvania
Real Name
Pennie
Which model Pennie?
Or a link perhaps?:)
It sounds exactly what I'm looking for!:)
Here you go Saroj -
EdenPURE Quartz Infrared Portable Heaters - Official site

I got the Gen3 model 1000. Honestly it's pretty awesome - like a tiny furnace on wheels but no hot parts. It's practically heating my whole downstairs because Amerigas is a bunch of ...... well..... anyway, the heater is great. It was my Christmas gift from my sister, so I don't know where she got it. Check it out!
 

waterfaller1

Ripping up the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
26,782
Real Name
carole
is it okay to cook their food on teflon pots? my kids are no where near there, so the fumes arent a problem.. but i was wondering if it affects the food any?
The fumes from teflon cookware can permeate a home in minutes, killing all birds. It has happened, where A/C and heating units picked up the fumes and circulated them to a basement housing many birds, which all died. It matters not that they are "no where near there"
I gave away all my teflon cookware. I only use stainless, and glass. I want to get a set of Greenware.

I would like to add~not sure if it was PTFE, but I have a friend who knows a woman who lost two birds this last Thanksgiving. The only thing cooking at the time was her turkey, in a throw away aluminum pan.:(
 
Last edited:

Compassion

Ripping up the road
Avian Angel
Joined
1/5/10
Messages
1,000,000
Location
Juneau
Real Name
Angela
I have a coffee maker that has a timer and I love it,however it is the type that is insulated and does not have a base that heats up. Once the coffee is done brewing it shuts off and it keeps the coffee hot for hours and hours.
 

birdsafe

Walking the driveway
Avenue Veteran
Joined
12/4/09
Messages
200
Location
Virginia
Real Name
Joe Arbogast
That is good, but I have seen more than one auto-coffeemaker malfunction and start a fire - just watch it -- there are people who have it start while they are still sleeping or even out of the house -- not good practice.
 

Jeddy

Rollerblading along the road
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
10/16/09
Messages
4,792
Location
West Coast- California
Real Name
Jan
What about computers containing teflon??
 

tjk

Moving in
Joined
3/4/11
Messages
9
Real Name
Tim
I found an article that also reiterates what was said earlier - that it is the fumes from the PTFE that are harmful and that under "normal" cooking, they wouldn't be released. Now even DuPont, the manufacturer of Teflon®, say you shouldn't keep your bird in the kitchen when cooking. Not just because of the PTFE, but there are a lot of things that produce fumes in the kitchen that could be harmful. It does seem that heating things really high is a problem (butter "heated" in an iron pan to over 500° was reportedly fatal to birds).

I've had finches in my kitchen for years now and have not had an issue (haven't burned any pots either), but I just was thinking I need to change out some pans, so maybe I'll select something different.

The other thing I learned is to not only look at things called Teflon® because there are many applications of PTFE that go by different names; so just because a non-stick pot doesn't have that name on it doesn't mean it doesn't pose the same PTFE risk.



Teflon
Learn More About DuPont? Teflon®
 
Top