PFAS in food packaging, and why it is being banned
PFAS are a family of fluorinated chemicals used to give paper and board resistance to grease and water. They are called forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment or the body. More than twelve US states have banned them in food-contact packaging, and European restrictions are in preparation.
Where they turn up
Anywhere a grease barrier is needed: burger wraps, fry bags, pizza boxes, baking papers, some coated board plates. They serve no purpose in uncoated wood, bamboo or plain paper — but absence of purpose is not evidence of absence, and a supplier declaration is what closes that gap.
Why regulators moved so hard
The carbon-fluorine bond is among the strongest in chemistry. The material persists in the environment, accumulates in water, and can pass into agricultural soil through composted packaging. This is also why compostability standards set a fluorine limit.
The wording is a legal decision
What a buyer should ask for
A declaration per material, not per product: wood, bamboo, napkin paper, packaging paper, ink and varnish each need their own. A single sentence covering the finished item does not satisfy a procurement file that asks material by material.
The link to compostability
EN 13432 sets a fluorine limit, so a PFAS-bearing coating also puts the compostability certificate at risk. The two topics look separate and meet in the same test.
Frequently asked
- Would wooden cutlery contain PFAS?
- There is no functional reason to use it on uncoated wood or bamboo — no grease barrier is required. Saying so without a supplier declaration is still a claim rather than a fact.
- Is there a European ban?
- A broad EU restriction on food-contact use is in preparation, and some member states, Denmark among them, already apply national bans.
Last updated: 2026-09-13