All Clear? Good News on the Matfer Recall! LATEST UPDATE 

"... equivalent to simmering tomato sauce for 2 hours" Paella fans sweating right now

Thank you, Scott, for your public service, investigative coverage of this issue.

Good on Matfer for answering so swiftly and completely.

The question that remains for me, how much arsenic was released? As chemical science student I know that steel, and in the making of steel arsenic is produced in tiny amounts. I wont be boiling tomatoes in my carbon steel pan, thats what the enameled dutch oven is for; I'm not too worried about that. Still I generally do not trust companies as profit is the driving factor. I want to know the ppm though. Will I keep cooking with it? absolutely.

Just got my second matfer pan a few days ago and was on here to see if there was any new info on these pans. Saw your videos about the recall and I'm really greatful you stayed up to date with this subject and kept is informed :) much appreciated sir

Thank you, Scott! I never stopped using mine but it's great to know the details. I have stainless All-Clad for cooking acidic foods. I would never do that in my carbon steel.

Thank you for getting all the information for us. When used wrong, a chemical reaction will take place. The key word "wrong"! I feel Matfer has been very upfront and answered their customer's questions head on. The impact of a faulty test on an innocent company is horrific and sad. Don't forget they employ many people that may be impacted from negative unfair publicity . Although I have many DeBuyer pans, I will buy a Matfer today to support an honest company.

Thank you for your timely updates. I honestly wasn't overly concerned knowing how tightly things are regulated in Europe.

Thank you sir for the update. I had very little doubt that there would be any real issues with my Matfer-Bourgeat carbon steel pans. I continued to use mine throughout this recall. I certainly don't boil acidic foods in my pans.

Thanks for your hard work and taking the lead on this issue. It is comforting to know that you put in the effort as a public service to educate the public not to promote your own personal brand.

Thank you Uncle Scott !

Thank you for your service!!

Good on Matfer, excellent conduct and overall transparency! I have de Buyer pans myself, but was very interested in this matter as it seemed unlikely to be just confined to one vendor if there had in fact been some problem with the source steel,

Thank you so much for researching this issue. The test performed on an unseasoned pan with acid for as long as they "cooked" the contents is ridiculous. I wonder is they would obtain the same results if they replicated the same with cast iron pans. If they get the same results, will they recall cast iron pans across France? Every cast iron pan owner would march on Paris. Mafter needs to fight this finding based on ridiculous testing and may even have the legal option of suing this agency for slander.

Love your dedication to carbon steel and cast iron pans as well as your collabs with Cook Culture!

Thank you for all your good work on this issue. Think I’ll go fry an egg on my Matfer.

WOW, that level of acidity will strip chrome plating off steele... After this I have no problem using my Matfer pans. I am also very reassured about how well Matfer is handeling this.

Imagine that... A government Scientist that doesn't know the standards of testing...Glad to call it.

I think that Matfer was done dirty by the testing agency. I'll continue to use my pans and even purchase more.

Great news, Scott!! Thanx for the Cliffsnotes.

Well again ... Uncle Scott, I'm probably one of the luckier ones having run across the video you made about the the controversy, and I watched it like four hours ago... And now we have an answer I feel kind of lucky in the sense that, I didn't have to "sit and stir" over this subject 🙂 ye, you mentioned something about our instant gratification and the need for answers immediately :-) another great commentary on our state social programming.... And it's great that you sent those questions to be answered.(great list) I did not expect what happened and how this whole kerfuffle came about. If anything and you mentioned this in your video and I think in one your questions questions and it was pertaining to maybe something happened metallurgically with the materials process or some process along the creation process that had the potential to create contamination. But now we know that did not occur... You know something else occurs to me as the way things were explained to you which was fantastic from Matfer... That pointing fingers at the testing agency or the testing agency admitting to their potential error seems to still be something nobody wants to specifically stat, a bit of responsibility... 🙂 I give big things to your investigation and working through your contacts because they became very important. P.S. I suspect the person doing the test has never used carbon steel or cast-iron cooking utensils, and probably the most important clue is they don't watch your channel Ha ha ha ... Many times we've covered this subject about acidic foods.!!!

Thank you.

Thanks for the follow up. Very much appreciated. The litigious state of the world has consumer product corporations walking on eggshells. Unfortunate to say the least and for a communications group to send an email with these statements and level of confidence knowing the risk and current level of scrutiny would *never* fly with legal if there was concern lawsuits or even class action may materialise…hence, taking nearly two weeks to respond. They scrubbed risk then scrubbed it again before hitting send. I held off waiting for updates but I’m in the same camp - will continue to cook with it after seeing this.

Way to go Matfer! Their handling of this fiasco has increased their credibility in my eyes

amazing news! thank you scott and mafter

I feel like the issue here is that, while people may know not to cook tomato sauce for 2 hrs in their pan, they are not aware that it can result in arsenic getting into their food, just that it would strip the seasoning

Thank You Sir.

Matfermageddon averted!

What other foods should we know to avoid? It’d still be very curious to know how other pans act under the same circumstances number wise. I will probably wait for more info to come out from America’s Test Kitchen and France but it’s a great first start.

New subscriber here , Hi Uncle Scott and thank you for these updates. I just bought a new pan from Amazon and will be getting it tomorrow so this was very timely and i will be using it. Thanks 😊

Watched the video about waiting, while cooking on my matfer pan. And now after my day, the good news! Clearly, I was going to keep using anyway, unless multiple reports of the issue.

This is great news and I appreciate you taking the time to do this. Now can we please get a review of a Cast-A-Way pan?

Thank you so much for this video. Really well explained and has helped put me at ease.

Many people have used vinegar or other acids to strip their carbon steel or cast iron. Is it safe when you 're-season'?

Thanks Uncle Scott. We can now comfortably go back to using our Matfer pans and I’m so grateful for you doing this reporting because it’s my favorite pan by far

Thanks Scott for the update. Was that officially from their legal department and vetted??

Do all the other manufacturers pans (regardless of material-carbon steel, stainless, cast iron) pass this test?

Of course I'll use them... actually, I never stopped.

I don’t know. If there was no risk then why recall specific batches? Doesn’t that suggest that there’s an unusually high amount of contaminants in recently made pans?

I enjoy your videos. Thanks for the info on this story. Quick question... How difficult is it to clean your tiled counter tops? That look like they would be a pain to keep clean.

Had purchased the Debuyer on your advice, was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Let’s hope they are being truthful, hard to come by these days🤞

Continuing to respond that their pans “comply” with standards of ccdp doesn’t outright deny the pans are releasing metal particles. This is why they wanted time for their marketing people to handle the wording. It’s very simple: products should not come with caveats. Because eventually someone can unintentionally cross it. All these people are saying is: “we followed the requirements. We cannot be sued for breaking any law.” This is ALL they care about: their company’s liability in a worse-case class action lawsuit scenario. If they’re so innocent, why preemptively bring in lawyers and marketing people to the picture? Seems shady.

Where can I buy the new version matfer carbon steel frying pan online?

Typical government over reach, probably at the behest of multinational corporations, targeting smaller manufacturers/operators.

I just purchased a matfer paella pan. Should I be concerned? The recipe does included diced tomatoes…but wondering if all the other ingredients nutritionalizes the acidity

I never stopped using my Matfer pans. I always felt they are safer than Teflon.

Another question no one ever asks there's different types of arsenic there's some natural arsenic that are not bad for you

Hm, might look into that agency and look for ties into the other pan manufacturers.

Quick feedback re: the video: It seemed as if I had scrolled down, since I couldn't see the top of your head / hat; it might be better to put the camera back a little and/or tilt it up so that your head is a little better centered vertically.

I don’t know who to trust, but I never stopped using my pan and I don’t think I have the self control to ever stop using it. I love my pan so much and would get another if money was not an issue.

😂 classic American response.. Government bad; Everyone dumb; I am still alive so is all good

Thank you Scott. But how long would simmering something acidic take to cause concern? I feel that's something we need to know rather than "we recommend you don't cook anything acidic" which is inadequate as far as I'm concerned.

Their PR sucks though. Their response on Reddit was awful.

Someone has a beef against Matfer. My guess it's is that it's a former employee plain and simple. It's the kind of nonsense we see today. Thank You for all your hard work, and to Matter for the answers.

Probably a marketing attack, sponsored by a competitor.

I have that very same pan. I love it.

I'm curious about the 11-7/8" pan currently being advertised on Amazon, as of 30 April 2024. It shows the new 'stamp' embedded on the handle, however. Does that stamp mean that this 11-7/8" pan is truly an updated skillet, induction safe pan, with a crowned bottom... or is this stamp just a marketing gimmick and just stamped on the handle, to reflect an upgrade, despite the fact that the pan will actually still warp/spin after being heated on an induction cooktop?

Is anybody asking the question why they only tested that companies pan and no one else's are you sure this wasn't paid for by a competitor

I am continuing to use the pans and did not stop. I don’t use mine every day. I use stainless steel a lot because of acidic preparations. The more I think about this the crazier this feels. Metals for pans are food grade with very little impurities. I think you mentioned they leaked chromium (used in food grade stainless steel) and arsenic which is not used in the production of steel or carbon steel. Again, i did not hear about the amount in ppm but I am guessing they are very low. As I said yesterday. We most of our arsenic intake from food that has it naturally like apples and rice. And as you said the water. Hate fearmongering and unrealistic tests used for political purposes. See it a lot in cosmetic industry and sunscreens

this is good news...just a govt agency testing a pan in a way no one would ever cook like in real world use...boiling citric acid for 2 hrs on a bare pan...wow someone was bored...

If FDA using same standards then all American made cast iron will need to be recalled.

Still disappointing that Matfer gave zero numbers in response to your questions 8 and 19

So, as I mentioned in my earlier comment on one of Scott's previous videos, it did indeed turn out to be a storm in a teacup. Or at least, nothing of negative consequence to users of Matfer carbon steel pans. Perhaps Matfer could take legal action against the provincial consumer protection organization for the preposterous way in which they tested the pan. Dr Peter Wisconsin

So basically ALL GOOD

Wondering if the same test Would break down nonstick pans’ coating

Wow. What a disaster for Matfer…hopefully averted? Unfortunately whatever damage done is done. Thanks for sticking with this Scott, breaking news indeed. It might be time to take the Pancast to a Primtime network news spot. “And now Katie, back to you for an update from Gaza.” Too bad as this is an all too common outcome from government/oversight agency misunderstanding or laziness. Stay diligent people.

So is Matfer still subject to any recall in France or has that been canceled? If Matfer's account is accurate, then it's bizarre that a state agency in the region would go after a major local manufacturer and exporter and essentially subject it to ruin for an illegitimate or bogus reason. Sounds like deranged bureaucrats out of control (assuming that Matfer's account is accurate.)

I have never liked mine. I Had It season so beautifully but every time i fry a hamburger in it it strips the seasoning right off. Amazon is going to do an A to Z for me on the 6th of May.. I am going back to frying my hamburgers in my French iron ceramic coated skillet. Like I said earlier when I cook a hamburger on the matfer carbon steel it strips the seasoning off every time back down to the bare metal.. I have not used the matfer carbon steel to cook my omelettes since the first few weeks of owning it nearly a year ago. I prefer my ceramic coated green pan for that.

Apparently out of control bureaucracies are not limited to the United States.

I don’t know how they do this study with just one manufacturer of carbon steel? Why not look at unseasoned cast iron as well?? Or the many teflon options as well. To isolate one company teams of a corrupt process. Seems they could have done multiple companies all at the same time with very little extra effort.

Was this acid test the first ever conducted on ANY carbon steel pan, or just a MB?

This would be a great time for De Buyer to replenish their omelette pan stock and SELL some pans! “Dear De Buyer, Please get your shtuff together. These pans are available on the French website. I’d like to buy a 9.5” mineral b pro omelette pan and stocks have been out for a while.”

Let me step on the gas pedal when I’m trying to brake. Oh yeah, the car has braking issues. Recall!

Sounds like they refused to bribe somebody in that GOV dept. Like who doesn't know that you can't boil acidic food on carbon steel.

Hah! Sounds like a local French screw-up. Also, sounds like a possible industry-initiated competitive jab for market-share. I recall several law-suits here in the US between any group of manufacturers impeding each others' competition.

so that means it’s still unsafe - what’s stopping someone from using their pans to boil tomatoes

It would have been nice if they would have taken an egg cooked it at the proper temperature with the proper oils and then tested the egg for transfer and I bet you'll find nothing

News flash! Life is bad for your health. This turned out to be much ado about nothing. I live in California and have to deal with Prop 65 bull stuff. Turns out just a government agency testing product in a way that normal users would never do. Matfer gets kudos for addressing the problem and promptly informing us. Good job in your reporting Uncle Scott!

6:25 ::Studio clapping:: ::head nods::

I'm going to purchase a Matfer pan JUST BECAUSE of the busybody government nonsense.

I perform tests on metals for several metal manufacturers used for kitchenware. The testing method used is standard. Other carbon steel pans pass this tested. Matfers did not. These pans are arsenic.

Acid extraction tests are common for food contact surfaces, but common sense says don’t apply to bare steel or iron. Appropriate for stainless or nonstick.

So we’re just taking their word for it? No numbers to back up any of their data. Just then saying: yes, ofc our product is safe… I would have expected Matfer to hire a 3rd party to test the pans under different conditions and release the results. But all of this is just a “trust me” when right now the ones I trust the least is them due to the way they have chosen to handle this. How much have they lost for not paying for 3rd party testing? I would say a lot of money and trust. Yet the cost seems to be lower to them than actually doing the testing. An option is that the results of said testing would be worse for their image than the ambiguity of their current responses.

What I find really gross is that I see so many people on RU-vid including chefs cook tomato based food in a cast iron pan for over 1 hour. That is really disgusting, just the fact that that black tar can leech into the food is scary. Unfortunately most people have no idea about acid food and cast iron. I find it weird as well with Paela carbon steel, even though we all know you cannot cook with acid foods, even you did it on your Paela dish. So what is the deal? Why is cooking acid in a Paella any different then cooking on a mafter carbon steel pan? I am seriously wondering about my Carbon Steel Woks. Who knows what metals the Chinese use. Great video!

So they California'd it.

So THAT wasn't lawyer speak, and the response sounds good. What I got out of all that was, when you first buy a pan, season it like you're supposed to and then don't boil an acidic liquid for a couple hours in the pan. Check, never would have done that one, nothing to worry about. I'm wondering how many Chinese made pans would melt doing that test.

❤😮

I made two braised Berkshire pork chops, a chinook salmon filet, and a pan pizza while you guys freaked out about this metal pan causing harm. I also had eggs in my cast iron pan...I'm sure I had extra iron because this, at the same time. Everyone, relax. Everything will be alright.

A little acid never hurt anyone. Oh yeah, tell that to K.I.T.T.!

Breaking News!!! A local California government has issued a recall on all passenger motor vehicles. After extensive testing they've determined them to inadequately protect passengers from impact risks. They drove no less than ONE HUNDRED different car models/brands off of the sheer face of El Capitan cliff in Yosemite. Every single make and model was reduced to a pancake. Consequently, no motor vehicle meets this new standard, thus, in the interest of public safety, they have issued a recall order on all motor vehicles in the country. Edit: In unrelated news, I never stopped using my Matfer pans. Idiots will idiot.

IMO its not good enough, even if virtually all the Arsenic and whatever junk stays inside the pan with correct use of the pan, Arsenic in steel is still known to greatly effect the durability of the steel. Oxenforge had allmost (1 hour) the exact same standardised test done by a third party lab, and no measureble amount of Arsenic where found in thier pans. We have still not seen any numbers regarding the quality of the steel from Matfer, and there is still countless of cases online of warped Matfer pans, while far fewer cases of simmilary dimensioned De Buyer pans. So no its not enough, I did rather buy the cheapest carbon steel pan of equal thickness on Wallmart/Aliexpress than a Matfer, but if I allready had a Matfer or found one on a garage sale then I wont mind using it.

Well done Matfer! Wow, boiling an acidic solution in an unprotected carbon steel pan for 2 hours... Well, I'll bet it was clean! ;-/ Seriously though, I wonder, would that be enough to start pitting?

Those pans ARE dangerous… if you get whacked on your head with one.

🤘😎 🍳🥢🍽🔪

DEI inspector hire.

You're either shilling for Matfer or you are very easily swayed.

*** THROW AWAY THOSE PANS *****. In my opinion the Citric Acid boil test is done to release the surface layer material. The ASTM A967 standard for passivation of stainless steel does use Citric Acid. So in my opinion this test method is valid!. Bottom line in a cooking material why is there any Arsenic? Leaching or not!