• Groupe SEB does not use any PFAS considered carcinogenic by health authorities.
• Groupe SEB has no longer used materials containing PFOA since 2012, and this before the introduction of the regulations.
• Products manufactured by Groupe SEB do not contain PFOA. Our products are regularly checked by independent laboratories to ensure this.
• Groupe SEB uses PTFE, known to be inert, non-bioaccumulative and therefore harmless to human health, and recognized as such by health authorities.
• Groupe SEB is also pursuing a strategy of diversifying its offering to meet the diverse expectations of all its customers.
• Finally, the Group is engaged in a constant process of innovation aimed at improving our products. This is particularly the case for the resistance of coatings, which are increasingly durable over time.

PTFE or polytetrafluoroethylene is a fluoropolymer. Used in non-stick coatings, it is made up of a chain of thousands of carbon atoms, with two fluorine atoms attached to each carbon atom. This structure gives PTFE a very high chemical innocuity, making it harmless to human health,
It also makes it exceptionally resistant to high temperature and very “glidable”, providing it with non-sticking properties that are ideal for producing a very effective coating for cooking pots and pans.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the French, European (EFSA) and American health authorities (FDA) have all confirmed that PTFE is harmless to human health. Tefal’s non-stick coatings are approved for use in food contact.

PTFE is one of the basic materials used in the formulation of non-stick coatings.
It is produced by leading international chemical companies, selected as part of Groupe SEB's responsible purchasing policy (according to ethical, social and environmental criteria) and on the basis of strict specifications. These companies are regularly inspected.

Public health authorities in Europe and the United States have demonstrated that PTFE is an inert substance that has no effect on the human body when ingested. These same authorities have confirmed that PTFE coatings do not pose a health risk when used in cookware.
Following a study conducted by the IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), the WHO classified PTFE in group 3 [Volume 19, 288 (1979) and supplement 7.70 (1987)], thus recognizing that it is not carcinogenic to humans.
Note that PTFE is sufficiently harmless to be frequently used in the medical field (cardiac pacemakers, artificial arteries, prostheses, etc.).

The term PFAS (per- or polyfluoroalkylated substances) refers to a large family of substances with a wide variety of chemical properties.
Much of the information available, particularly on the Internet, creates confusion by failing to make an explicit distinction between PFASs known to be harmful, such as PFOA, and other chemical compounds considered to belong to the same family but with no impact on health or the environment, such as fluoropolymers (PTFE).

Groupe SEB products do not contain any PFAS considered harmful to health or the environment by health authorities.
Several families of Groupe SEB products are made with a non-stick coating based on PTFE, a safe component that is approved by authorities like the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Authorities for the use in non-stick coatings on cookware.

Our products are regularly checked by independent laboratories to verify the absence of PFAS considered problematic on the final articles and the total safety of the products manufactured by the group.
We control that there is no detection of these PFAS using the best techniques commercially available today, our analysis goes beyond what is required by regulations.

PFOA is a short-chain PFAS. It is persistent in the environment and accumulates in living organisms, where it can have harmful effects on health.
Tefal and its suppliers have not used PFOA in their processes since 2012, long before the regulations were introduced. Independent laboratories regularly check our cookware. These controls have systematically established the absence of PFOA in Groupe SEB products.

NO

Tefal and its suppliers have not used PFOA in their processes since 2012, long before the regulations were introduced. Independent laboratories regularly check our cookware. These controls have systematically established the absence of PFOA in Groupe SEB products.

OF COURSE

We have the certificate established after tests by an independent laboratory.

NO

Groupe SEB has never used PFOS in the manufacture of its products.
Our products do not contain PFOS.

Our RENEW cookware range features an INOCERAM ceramic coating which, by its chemical nature, contains no PFAS.

Teflon™ is a registered brand of Chemours, a large global chemical company, and there is no link between Chemours and Tefal.
Groupe SEB brands, including Tefal and T-fal, makes cookware products with PTFE non-stick coatings. It does not use Teflon™.

French, European and American health authorities have all confirmed that PTFE is harmless to health and recognized it as an inert substance with no effect on the body when ingested.
Accidental ingestion of any part of the coating is perfectly safe. The human body does not assimilate particles which remain completely harmless.
As studies carried out by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have shown, swallowed PTFE particles pass through the body, like any other fiber that circulates in the digestive system without being assimilated. Due to its high chemical resistance, PTFE has no effect on the body when ingested.
However, scratches can reduce the non-stick qualities of the utensil, so we advise you to use it in accordance with brand instruction for use and replace it in case coating alterations.

Groupe SEB always places the wellbeing of its customers at the heart of its concerns. In this respect, our Group is consistently acting to be ahead of current national and international regulations.
We therefore reassure you that we follow with great attention the updates from all qualified authorities on the compliance of our products and claims, and are always acting accordingly. Our teams are currently closely monitoring the developments following the publication of the draft of the PFAS restriction report, as published by ECHA.
Tefal is fully committed to produce non-stick coated cookware products that are safe. In keeping with its commitment to health and the environment, Tefal has also created a “Health and Environment” label guaranteeing that its cookware products do not contain any PFOA and that they are harmless to consumers and the environment.

For a line worker, the most likely route of exposure is by inhalation due to other personal protective equipment (gloves, work clothing) and the rules at the station (prohibition of eating at the station). Wearing respiratory protection was made compulsory in 2015 for the handling, formulation and coating of PTFE-based coatings, de facto reducing this risk.

We are committed at all stages of our manufacturing processes to respecting prevention principles:
Selection of the most suitable raw materials from a health-safety-environment point of view
Capturing emissions and protecting employees at source. For example, our PTFE spray lines are all equipped with source suction at all emissive stages of the process. Devices make it possible to continuously monitor the proper functioning of these measures.