Super Eco

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I admit it: when it comes to what my family eats, I play it safe. I may question whether the votes are all in before calling a final decision on issues such as whether organic milk is really worth it—but until I'm certain, yeah, I'm moving the organics into my shopping cart.

So when fellow Super Eco blogger Kim Lachance Shandrow questioned the technology behind Teflon-alternative GreenPan (Is it simply too good to be true?), I sat up and listened. Apparently, so did a representative of Thermolon, the maker of GreenPan's coating, who wrote in to clarify the facts behind GreenPan's green cred.

Nanotechnology Our original article questioned the “ceramic-based hybrid polymer nano-composite non-stick technology” of Thermalon, its trademark non-stick coating. Thermolon refutes that claim: "The use of the term 'nanotechnology' during the launch of Thermolon was a result of a rather over-enthusiastic copy writer," wrote the Thermolon rep. "Apparently, it was just thrown in because it sounded high tech..." so perhaps a marketing mistake isn't worthy of our concern. Whatever the source, it's reassuring to hear that untested nanotech isn't lurking beneath the surface.

I say silicon, you say silicone ... We originally reported that GreenPan incorporates silicone, when in fact silicon is the material in question. Further, no silicon leaches out of the product.  "It is important for you to understand that there is no free silicon present in our coatings," the Thermalon rep states. "Instead, silicon atoms are bound with atoms of other elements in a perfectly stable compound known as silica (-Si-O-Si-)—i.e., basically sand. In Thermolon coatings, the Si is combined with other elements as a ceramic material. ... As previously stated, basically, it is made of sand and has been thoroughly tested by independent Labs in the US, UK, Germany etc.—even by the Swiss Government. All certify it to be completely free of toxins or anything harmful to man, beast or the environment."

Available at QVC.com Thermolon clarified that Thermolon and GreenPan are separate companies. GreenPan has no link to QVC and is not for sale on QVC.

Ultimately, we'll have to go with Lachance Shandrow's original assessment that GreenPan is worth a try.