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.

Big mac wrapper with paper collar