We can say for sure that Made In Cookware has become a super popular name that specializes in premium-quality cookware, focusing on stainless steel, carbon steel, and non-stick pans, for not only professional chefs but also home cooks, do you feel the same way?
And just so you know, since the company’s inception in 2017, the public perception of the brand is that it has an impeccable reputation, which is further validated by celebrity endorsements which has been going on for quite a while now. But for the quality of their cookware, they’re now entangled in this famous Made In Cookware Lawsuit, did you know that? Let’s just go over the details of this case and see what the Made In Cookware brand is being targeted for.
What Are They Accused Of?
Just so you know, actually back in November 2023, Boston Foundry, Inc., which is the parent company made in cookware filed a lawsuit against them. And as per the details as well as what’s out there, the lawsuit claimed that the company misled consumers by putting their products into the market as “PFOA-free” and “100% non-toxic”. Sure enough, within the lawsuit, it’s argued that it is a false advertisement and the presence of PTFE, which is a chemical that is most commonly found in Teflon, is proof of that, you know?
Not just that though, according to the lawsuit, PTFE is a member of the family of PFAS, also termed “forever chemicals.” And if you’re aware of all the discussion going on about these forever chemicals in the United States right now, you’d surely know that these chemicals can linger for a long time without getting broken down, and they can gather in the environment and inside the human body which is the cause of extreme health hazards like cancer and stroke as well as thyroid dysfunction.
All in all, yes, this lawsuit brings to light that the Made In Company did not practice what it preached by using PTFE in its products, whereas it behaved as if it were “100% non-toxic” in its marketing campaign.
What Are Forever Chemicals, and Why Do They Matter?
If you really want to know more about PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, well, just so you know, these are human-made compounds that are used in a range of products to provide water, heat, and stain resistance, but these aren’t safe for the human body. But why so? Well, while commercial non-stick pans are perhaps the most common use of these chemicals, the same property that makes them a useful invention is the very reason they are such a threat, you know, they are not only persistent in the environment but also bio-accumulate in the body and their proportion of the body eventually poses health risks. We are talking about severe health risks, like cancer and all.
One thing to keep in mind here is that the main culprit PFOA, which was, unfortunately, a highly toxic PFAS, has been sorted out of the whole range since 2002, yet when PTFE is manufactured, it is often accompanied by other types of defective PFAS in the process. Although Made In Cookware claims that its PFOA contents are zero, the lawsuit alleges that its PTFE is at the same level of danger for the customers.
So, What’s Wrong with the Pans?
You see, in the lawsuit, it is claimed that Made In’s non-stick cookware which they knowingly advertised as safe is, in fact, highly sensitive. The tests performed on these cookware products, especially the cups, indicated that the cups were made from the same PTFE as the non-slick ones provided by the Made In company contained amounts of PFAS particles so yeah, all in all, their claim of “100% non-toxic” is actual just a marketing gimmick while there is no such thing in their product.