The first known PFAS in the US was accidentally discovered in 1938 by a 27-year-old chemist named Roy Plunkett and in the decades since it and related chemicals have been added to a wide variety of products to make them resistant to heat, water, oil and corrosion.

How PFAS gets from food packaging to you Searching for PFAS “So the good news is there are steps that companies can take now to reduce their use of these dangerous chemicals.” “We know from our testing that it is feasible for retailers to use packaging with very low PFAS levels,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at CR. In CR’s tests the chemicals were also found in packaging from places that claimed to be moving away from PFAS, though those levels were often lower than at other retailers. In response, some fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, as well as several grocery stores, say that they have taken steps to limit PFAS in their food packaging or that they plan to phase it out. Health and environmental advocates have been pushing for PFAS use to be restricted, especially in items such as food packaging. Some research even suggests that PFAS levels are higher in people who regularly eat out.Īnother concern: when packaging is tossed into the trash it can end up in landfills, and PFAS can contaminate water and soil, or it is incinerated, and PFAS can spread through the air. That’s especially likely when food is fatty, salty or acidic, according to a 2021 review in the journal Foods. “We know that these substances migrate into food you eat,” said Justin Boucher, an environmental engineer at the Food Packaging Forum, a non-profit research organization based in Switzerland. A seemingly virtuous alternative to plastic, packaging made with PFAS often resembles paper or cardboard but salad dressing and fry oil do not leak through. PFAS can be found not only in nonstick pans and waterproof gear but also in the grease-resistant packaging that holds food from takeout chains and supermarkets.

In recent decades, PFAS exposure has been linked to a growing list of health problems, including immune system suppression, lower birth weight and increased risk for some cancers.

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