WASHINGTON – Today, the Food and Drug Administration announced that the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS will no longer be sold for use to treat food contact papers and paper board. It’s the culmination of research documenting the widespread use of PFAS and states’ actions to drive non-essential uses of these toxic chemicals out of the marketplace.
Twelve states, including California, have enacted much broader bans and phase-outs of PFAS in food packaging. Some of these laws have already taken effect and are mandatory, not voluntary.
In its announcement, the FDA did not mention those state efforts. It said the work marks the completion of a voluntary market phase-out of grease-proofing substances that contain certain types of PFAS in food packaging paper and paperboard. This “eliminates the primary source of dietary exposure to PFAS from authorized food contact uses,” the FDA said.
Studies by FDA researchers found that a common fluorinated chemical in food packaging was much more toxic than earlier studies by the chemical industry suggested. The peer-reviewed papers in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology and Food and Chemical Toxicology looked at a fluorotelomer alcohol, known as 6:2 FTOH. It is one of the most important so-called short-chain PFAS compounds, which the industry maintains are safer than the long-chain chemicals they were designed to replace.
Since the 1960s, the FDA knew PFAS were linked to health harms but continued to allow their use in food packaging.
“It is amazing how long PFAS manufacturers have continued to profit from wrapping food with these toxic chemicals while knowing about the harm caused by exposure to these chemicals,” said David Andrews, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group.
“Twenty years ago, EWG sent letters to the CEOs of nine fast food restaurants asking them to phase out this use of PFAS. We’ve known for decades that this is a completely unnecessary use of these forever chemicals,” he said.
PFAS are a family of thousands of chemicals that are widely used to make water-, grease- and stain-repellent coatings. They’re also used in hundreds of consumer goods and industrial applications. These chemicals are notoriously persistent in the environment and bioaccumulate in the human body.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has detected PFAS in the blood of 99 percent of Americans, including newborn babies. Very low doses of PFAS have been linked to suppression of the immune system. Studies show exposure to very low levels of PFAS can also increase the risk of cancer, harm fetal development and reduce vaccine effectiveness.
The FDA's reliance on voluntary commitments from manufacturers to end uses of PFAS highlights a lack of regulatory urgency in tackling forever chemicals, especially considering the known exposure risks. This contrasts starkly with the proactive measures taken by states to enact bans on PFAS in food packaging, demonstrating a clear disconnect between federal and state responses to this public health issue.
“States really deserve our gratitude for their leadership in regulating PFAS in food wrappers,” said Melanie Benesh, EWG’s vice president of government affairs. “The state bans finally forced the FDA to act. But let's not celebrate too soon.
“While the FDA's phase-out is a step forward, it falls short. State bans on PFAS in food packaging are already in full force, surpassing the federal mandate. Until June 2025, PFAS-laden products could continue to line store shelves,” she added.
While the FDA's efforts to engage with industry and encourage the phase-out of PFAS in food packaging are commendable, the slow pace of progress remains a concern.
“It's time for consumers to demand more than half-measures from the federal government and stand up against toxic substances like PFAS in their food,” said Andrews.
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The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action.
