Nutrition Tip

What happens when a non-stick pan gets scratched?

When the coating loses its integrity, the pan both stops doing its job and falls outside the normal use that the legislation assumes.

Published: 22 August 2026

A pan with a scratched coating loses two things at once: its non-stick property and the normal use that the legislation assumes. The regulation says that under normal or foreseeable conditions of use there can be no transfer from materials in contact with food to the food in amounts that would endanger health or spoil the composition or the taste of the food. Once the coating is damaged, that condition falls away.

Share:

Sources

General information notice. This content is prepared to support general nutrition literacy; it does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment and is not personal nutrition advice. A plan tailored to you can only be prepared by a licensed dietitian; if you are pregnant, have a chronic condition, take regular medication, are feeding a child, or have a clinical condition, a physician and dietitian check is required before starting a plan.

Find a Dietitian