Overheating your pan is not good for your food.

An extensive British study of almost 4,000 adults found that there is a link between thyroid disease and a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) found in non-stick cookwear and food packaging. The research found that those with the highest concentrations of PFOA in their blood were more than twice as likely to have thyroid disease. The chemical is thought to alter thyroid hormone levels leading to disease.

The Australian Government’s National Institute of Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme says regular cooking temperatures are unlikely to release PFOA but extremely high temperatures can. The government has promised that PFOA use and importation will stop by 2015. In the meantime, to reduce your level of exposure, don’t overheat your non-stick pans or leave them unattended on the stove top for the PFOA fumes to discharge.