Tefal faces possible legal action over ‘forever chemicals’ in France

Three environmental associations have formally challenged Groupe SEB, the French company behind Tefal cookware, over its use of ‘forever chemicals’.

ClientEarth, Générations Futures and Notre Affaire à Tous sent a formal notice to the company on October 8, demanding that it identify the risks linked to PFAS in its products and plan to stop using the substances.

The groups have given SEB three months to update its legally required ‘duty of vigilance’ plan. If it fails to do so, they say they could take the company to the Paris judicial court.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a large family of chemicals used in many products because of their resistance to heat, water and grease. They are often called ‘forever chemicals’ because they can break down extremely slowly in the environment.

SEB uses polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a type of fluoropolymer belonging to the PFAS family, in its cookware.

According to the NGOs, consumers using the cookware risk exposure to PTFE, particularly if the product is overheated or scratched. Frequent exposure to PFAS has been associated with a growing number of serious health effects, including cardiovascular risks, endocrine disruption, and certain cancers. 

The groups said that the company's vigilance plan does not take enough into account the risks associated with these substances or set out sufficient measures to prevent or reduce potential harm.

Under France's duty of vigilance law, introduced in 2017, large companies must identify and address risks to human health, the environment and human rights that come from their activities.

“We want manufacturers, through the SEB case, to play their full part in anticipating chemical risks and evolving regulations,” Générations Futures said.

“This anticipation is crucial to protecting people's health, but also to maintaining jobs in our regions in the long term.”

For its part, Groupe SEB told France Inter that it had received the formal notice and would examine its contents before responding.

Concerns over Tefal factory emissions

The action comes amid separate concerns about emissions from SEB’s Tefal factory in Rumilly, Haute-Savoie.

Measurements carried out at the factory in November 2025 detected PFAS in atmospheric emissions from nine discharge points.

On April 29, 2026, the Haute-Savoie prefecture ordered the company, which also owns Calor irons and Moulinex small appliances, to assess the sources of emissions, submit an action plan to reduce them before January 1, 2027, and carry out regular monitoring over two years.