How aluminium and non-stick cookware is made
Aluminium spreads heat well and is light, so it is the usual base for frying pans, tawas, kadais and sauce pans. Bodies are pressed or spun from aluminium circles, or cast for heavier pans. The DC-MSME skill-mapping sheet for Yamunanagar district lists an aluminium products and utensils cluster at Jagadhri, Haryana, next to a brass utensils cluster. Aluminium household articles (HS 7615) were worth US$123.73 million of exports in FY2025-26, of which non-stick utensils (HS 7615 10 21) were US$33.52 million (TradeStat, provisional).
The surface is finished in one of three ways:
- Non-stick coating. The body is grit-blasted or etched, then sprayed or roller-coated with two or three layers and cured in an oven. Most coatings are PTFE-based fluoropolymers; "ceramic" coatings are sol-gel silica coatings with no PTFE.
- Hard anodising. An electrochemical process thickens the natural oxide layer into a hard, dark grey surface. Nothing is added on top.
- Plain or polished aluminium, common for traditional Indian cookware and hammered serveware.
Aluminium does not work on induction, so pans for that market get a stainless steel plate pressed or impact-bonded into the base. Handles are riveted through the body, which means the rivet heads sit inside the coated surface.
What we check on aluminium and non-stick cookware
| Check | How it is checked | What fails |
|---|---|---|
| Coating thickness | Eddy-current gauge at several points on the cooking surface and wall, against your specification | Below the minimum, or uneven across the pan |
| Coating adhesion | Cross-hatch tape test on a sampled pan, which is then scrapped | Coating lifts at the cuts or onto the tape |
| Coating appearance | Cooking surface checked under light; rim and exterior checked for overspray | Bare spots, bubbles, specks, orange peel, chips round rivet heads |
| Coating identity | Coating supplier name, grade and batch on the factory's records compared with your test reports | A different coating or supplier from the one tested |
| Anodised layer | Colour against the sample; layer thickness by eddy-current gauge | Patchy colour, thin layer, white powdery spots |
| Base flatness and induction plate | Pan on a flat glass plate; plate edge checked for gaps; magnet pull across the plate | Rocking, plate lifting at the edge, weak pull |
| Body gauge and weight | Micrometer at the rim; pan weighed against the sample | Thinner or lighter than specified |
| Handles and rivets | Pull and twist on handles; detachable handles locked and released | Play, cracked handle, loose rivet, lock that slips |
| Claims and labels | Box and label claims read against the reports | PFAS-free claim on a PTFE pan; claims with no report behind them |
Common aluminium and non-stick cookware defects and how they are classed
| Defect | Typical cause | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Handle loose or lock slipping | Weak rivet, worn locking part | Critical |
| "PFAS-free" claim on a PTFE-coated pan | Marketing copy not checked against the coating | Critical for the order: unlawful claim in some markets |
| Coating not the one tested | Supplier or grade changed | Critical for the order |
| Coating peeling or failing tape test | Poor blasting or cleaning, under-curing | Major |
| Bare spots or chips on the cooking surface | Thin spray, damage before packing | Major |
| Induction plate lifting | Poor bonding | Major |
| Overspray on rim or exterior | Masking not done | Minor |
| Colour shade on anodised or coated exterior | Batch variation | Minor if within the sample range |
Your defect list decides the final class.
PFAS, lead and food contact rules
- EU, PFOA. PFOA, its salts and related compounds are restricted under the POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021, added by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/784 and applied from 4 July 2020. A "PFOA-free" claim therefore says only that the pan meets the law.
- Minnesota. Since 1 January 2025, cookware with intentionally added PFAS may not be sold in Minnesota (Minn. Stat. 116.943). Conventional PTFE non-stick coatings fall within it.
- California. AB 1200 requires cookware makers to disclose intentionally added chemicals from a state list, PFAS among them, in the handle or food-contact surface, on the label and online. The Attorney General has warned that a product containing PTFE may not be called "PFAS-free".
- Lead (US). In August 2025 FDA warned against certain imported aluminium, brass and alloy cookware that can leach lead, a list drawn mainly from products made in India and Pakistan, and noted that no FDA regulation authorizes lead as a food additive. Recycled scrap alloys are the usual source. See FDA food contact and Prop 65.
- EU, aluminium release. There is no EU-specific measure for metals. The Council of Europe guide sets a specific release limit of 5 mg/kg for aluminium; uncoated pans with acidic or salty food are the risk. See EU 1935/2004 and REACH.
- Performance. EN 12983-1:2023 now includes non-stick coating tests; many EU buyers specify it.
Other US states have passed PFAS cookware laws with their own dates; check each state you sell in.
Packing, transit and your purchase order
A coated pan is easily scratched by the pan nested in it. Each pan needs a protector or card disc on the cooking surface, and handles should not press into the coating of the next piece. Labels and stickers must not leave adhesive on the coating. The inspector checks pan protectors, set boxes, carton strength and that labels and inserts carry the agreed claims.
Put these in your purchase order:
- Body alloy, gauge, weight and base diameter.
- Coating supplier, product name, number of layers and minimum dry film thickness.
- Test reports required: PFAS content where claimed, lead in the alloy, coating performance to EN 12983-1 if you need it.
- Induction plate type and bonding method.
- Handle type, rivet count and any detachable handle mechanism.
- Exact wording of every claim on the box, approved by your compliance team.
For uncoated steel pans, see stainless steel cookware; for pans that rely on seasoning, see cast iron cookware.
Sources
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/784 (PFOA under the POPs Regulation)
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: 2025 PFAS prohibitions
- Minnesota Statutes 116.943 (Amara's Law)
- California AB 1200 (2021), Safer Food Packaging and Cookware Act
- California Attorney General: AB 1200 enforcement advisory (October 2023)
- FDA: Warning about imported cookware that may leach lead (August 2025)
- EDQM FAQ: metals and alloys in food contact materials (aluminium 5 mg/kg)
- DC-MSME skill mapping, Yamunanagar district (Jagadhri clusters)
- Department of Commerce, TradeStat: commodity-wise exports (HS 7615, FY2025-26 provisional)