Food Packaging With Forever Chemicals No Longer Sold in US

Food packaging coated in forever chemicals will no longer be sold in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration reports that grease-proofing materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are being phased out completely. 

PFAS have been used in food packaging for years. The “forever chemicals” are called so because they persist in the environment for a long time, don’t break down quickly, and resist grease, oil, water, and heat. They are found in food packaging for items such as fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, and pet food bags, but they are being eliminated, according to the FDA.

Exposure to some types of PFAS has been linked to severe health effects. This regulatory move allows the FDA to help safeguard the food supply to Americans by evaluating the use of chemicals as food ingredients and substances that come into contact with food.

Food manufacturers are responsible for marketing safe foods. The industry is responsible for ensuring the safety and regulatory status of the chemical substances they use in food or come into contact with food.

Today, FDA is announcing that grease-proofing materials containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are no longer being sold for use in food packaging in the U.S.

This means the major source of dietary exposure to PFAS from food packaging like fast-food wrappers,… pic.twitter.com/Mh3961ka8P

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) February 28, 2024

Regulation is required to implement preventive controls as needed. These significantly minimize or prevent exposure to chemicals in foods that are hazardous to human health. 

“Today’s announcement marks the fulfillment of a voluntary commitment by manufacturers to not sell food contact substances containing certain PFAS intended for use as grease-proofing agents in the U.S.,” said Jim Jones, deputy commissioner for human foods. “This FDA-led effort represents a positive step forward as we continue to reevaluate chemicals authorized for use with, and in, food. It underscores an important milestone in the protection of U.S. consumers from potentially harmful food-contact chemicals.”

The FDA’s announcement came just two days after the Endocrine Society issued a new alarm about the human health dangers from environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including PFAS, in a report covering the latest science, according to Medscape. However, the FDA has authorized certain PFAS for limited use in cookware, food packaging, and food processing equipment.