The burger wrapper, resistant to the oils and sauces within, keeps your hands clean and your meal contained. The microwave popcorn bag, designed to withstand intense heat and prevent butter from seeping through, delivers a convenient snack. These everyday conveniences are often made possible by a class of synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. These compounds have become an invisible yet pervasive part of our food system, shaping the infrastructure that delivers food from processing plants to our plates.
PFAS are a group of thousands of chemicals valued for their ability to repel water, oil, and grease. For decades, the food packaging industry embraced them for their functional benefits, incorporating them into everything from pizza boxes and bakery bags to takeout containers and even some non-stick cookware. The goal was simple: create a barrier that ensures food transport is less messy, more hygienic, and extends shelf life. This efficiency became deeply embedded in the economics of food delivery, particularly for processed and ultra-processed foods that rely on robust packaging.
But the very properties that make PFAS so effective—their exceptional stability and persistence—also make them concerning. They are often called “forever chemicals” because they do not readily break down in the environment or in the human body. Research has linked exposure to certain PFAS to a range of adverse health effects, including increased cholesterol levels, immune system suppression, developmental effects in children, and certain cancers, according to a 2023 review in *Environmental Health Perspectives*. This exposure often happens subtly, as trace amounts can migrate from packaging into food.
The regulatory landscape surrounding PFAS in food packaging is as complex and fragmented as the chemicals themselves. Historically, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved many PFAS for use in food contact materials, evaluating them chemical by chemical. However, as the body of scientific evidence on their health risks grew, and as the ubiquity of these chemicals became clearer, the approach began to shift. A 2024 statement from the FDA outlines its strategy to reduce exposure, primarily through voluntary phase-outs by manufacturers for certain uses, and a re-evaluation of others.
This piecemeal federal approach has often been outpaced by state-level actions. California’s AB 1200, for instance, a landmark law passed in 2025, began phasing out PFAS in food packaging, setting a precedent that other states, like Washington and New York, have followed. These legislative efforts reflect a growing recognition that the current system of chemical regulation, which often lags behind scientific understanding, is not adequately protecting public health from diffuse environmental exposures. The disconnect between environmental health regulations and food safety frameworks means that chemicals like PFAS can persist in the food system long after their risks are known.
The story of PFAS in food packaging is not one of villainous corporations, but of a system that prioritizes certain functional and economic imperatives without fully accounting for long-term, diffuse costs. Companies adopted these chemicals because they solved real problems for food preservation and delivery. Consumers, meanwhile, have no real choice in the matter; they simply receive the food in the packaging provided. This exemplifies how the most consequential decisions often happen in the unseen infrastructure between the farm and the fork, driven by a complex interplay of market demands, technological capabilities, and regulatory inertia.
As the industry slowly transitions to alternative materials, the legacy of PFAS will remain, both in the environment and in our bodies. Understanding this particular challenge illuminates a broader truth about our food systems: they are not just about what we eat, but also about what we are exposed to through the very mechanisms designed to bring that food to us. Reporting on this intersection—where industrial chemistry meets daily consumption and regulatory science—is crucial for making the invisible, visible.