Leftover challenges: the current state of PFAS in food packaging

Since the 1950s, PFAS have been used to impart grease resistance to fast food containers, wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, candy wrappers and more. Image: Shutterstock

Since the 1950s, PFAS have been used to impart grease resistance to fast food containers, wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, candy wrappers and more. Unfortunately, evidence has mounted that these chemicals have a wide range of health harms¹ and can migrate directly into food that comes into contact with treated packaging. Even polymeric PFAS, which were promoted as safer alternatives, have been found to be contaminated with impurities or break down into smaller, harmful PFAS molecules that can leach into food. PFAS-containing products can also contaminate recycling and waste streams and their manufacturing has resulted in pollution of agricultural soils, crops and drinking water. As a result of their widespread use and environmental contamination, they have been detected in the bodies of nearly all people tested.  

Policy progress 

Fortunately, countries and regions worldwide have taken significant steps to reduce this problem. While the scientific community has been concerned about PFAS for some time, progress to limit their use was expedited after a 2017 scientific study² found widespread PFAS in food packaging, sparking media interest and raising broader awareness. As of 2024, 13 US states³ have adopted legislation restricting PFAS in food packaging. At the federal level, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been addressing PFAS in food packaging through a combination of regulatory actions and voluntary commitments. In 2016, the FDA revoked authorisation⁴ of specific long-chain PFAS and in 2020, the agency obtained commitments from manufacturers to cease sales of certain short-chain PFAS intended for use as grease-proofing agents in food contact paper and paperboards in the US market. In February of 2024, the FDA confirmed⁵ that these voluntary commitments have been fulfilled. 

In 2020 Denmark was the first country⁶ to ban the broad class of PFAS from paper and cardboard food contact materials. The EU has also recently taken significant action to regulate PFAS in food packaging. In March 2024, the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement⁷ on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, which includes a ban on the use of PFAS in food contact packaging. 

Remaining gaps and loopholes 

While these policies have made substantial strides in reducing PFAS in food packaging, critical gaps remain. Much of the problem is because most of the restrictions focus on “intentionally added” PFAS, which may not address PFAS present from recycled materials, processing aids, or fluorination treatments of plastics. For example, the FDA has approved the use of PFAS for four general categories⁸ and only the use in grease-proof paper packaging has been addressed. These other intentional uses of PFAS may still lead⁹ to exposure through food and negative health effects.  

Recycled paper and cardboard used in food packaging can contain PFAS from previous uses. For example, a study¹⁰ found that some non-grease-resistant recycled paper packaging tested contained PFAS. Recycled plastics have also been found to contain another class of harmful chemicals: flame retardants. A recent study¹¹ revealed that black plastic used in takeaway containers, kitchen utensils and food trays may harbour concerning levels of harmful flame retardants used in electronic plastic casings and enclosures. These findings underscore the need to ensure that recycled materials containing harmful additives are not used in food contact materials.  

A new approach 

A proactive approach focused on utilising only food contact materials not prone to chemical migration is needed. A paper¹² by the Food Packaging Forum, a non-profit organisation based in Switzerland, revealed a wide range of chemicals of concern detected in food contact materials. The researchers compiled a database¹³ based on over a thousand scientific studies that found more than 3,000 food contact chemicals present that may leach into food Most of these contaminants are non-intentionally added substances. Additional research identified that food packaging contains hundreds of chemicals¹⁴ known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and harmful to the reproductive and endocrine systems. 

How can food industry leaders take a more comprehensive approach to healthier packaging? Selecting products that are free of harmful chemicals is challenging due to lack of transparency and regulation, with marketing claims further muddying the waters. Fortunately, a few helpful tools already exist: 

• The non-profit Environmental Defense Fund has a web-based tool¹⁵ that identifies which toxic chemicals might be lurking throughout the food packaging supply chain. This information is intended to help food companies remove harmful chemicals from their product portfolios. 

• The UP Scorecard¹⁶ is a science-based online tool, developed by a collaboration among food service companies, environmental NGOs and technical experts, compares the health and environmental impacts of products used to serve, heat and package food. Overall, glass, stainless steel and ceramic materials receive the best chemical of concern scores due to being highly inert and having the lowest overall migration potential. 

• Our Institute’s Class Approach¹⁷ has helped regulators and companies such as IKEA, KEEN and Kaiser Permanente phase out entire classes of chemicals of concern in specific product categories. This approach prevents an inefficient and expensive cycle of regrettable substitution, when harmful chemicals are phased out only to be replaced with related substances that eventually are also found to be problematic and must again be replaced. 

Research and innovation 

As consumer awareness grows and regulatory pressure mounts to phase out PFAS and other chemicals of concern, the industry is racing to innovate. With existing tools and upcoming advancements, the future of food packaging has the potential to be not just smarter and more sustainable, but also safer. However, we must learn from past mistakes and ensure new technologies are properly vetted. To this end, we need to not only pay attention to product performance and sustainability targets but also what is known about the potential harm to human and ecological health of materials we use to store and serve our food and beverages. 

About the authors:

Anna Soehl, MSc , Science and Policy Consultant, Green Science Policy Institute 

For the past decade Anna has been working with the Green Science Policy Institute on reducing the use of flame retardants, PFAS and antimicrobials in everyday products. She holds an MSc in environmental science and policy from Central European University/Manchester University.  

 

 

Rebecca Fuoco, MPH, Director of Science Communications, Green Science Policy Institute 

 Rebecca Fuoco leads the Institute’s media and communications efforts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Cornell University and a Master of Public Health degree from UC Berkeley, where she was a Center for Health Leadership Fellow. She is currently working towards her Doctor of Public Health degree at Johns Hopkins University. 

References 

1. https://www.sixclasses.org/videos/pfas 
2. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00435 
3. https://www.saferstates.org/priorities/pfas/ 
4. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-removes-approval-use-pfcs-food-packaging-based-abandonment 
5. https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-announces-pfas-used-grease-proofing-agents-food-packaging-no-longer-being-sold-us 
6. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/09/04/health/denmark-pfas-food-packaging-ban-intl/index.html 
7. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240301IPR18595/deal-on-new-rules-for-more-sustainable-packaging-in-the-eu 
8. https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/authorized-uses-pfas-food-contact-applications 
9. https://blogs.edf.org/health/2021/08/12/beyond-paper-part-2-pfas-intentionally-used-to-make-plastic-food-packaging/ 
10. https://ipen.org/news/single-use-food-packaging-17-countries-contains-pfas-%E2%80%9Cforever-chemicals%E2%80%9D 
11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0045653524022173?via%3Dihub 
12. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408398.2022.2067828 
13. https://foodpackagingforum.org/resources/databases/fccmigex 
14. https://www.newsweek.com/plastic-food-packaging-can-contain-hundreds-chemicals-that-cause-cancer-infertility-study-1713640 
15. https://business.edf.org/safer-food-packaging/ 
16. https://upscorecard.org/ 
17. https://www.sixclasses.org/