Food Contact Materials Already Meet Strict Regulatory Standards
Washington, DC (February 1, 2017) – In response to a new analysis that was released today about the use of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFASs) in food packaging materials, the FluoroCouncil, the global industry group representing major manufacturers of fluorinated chemistries, released the following statement:
“Without further examination of the data, it's impossible to draw any definitive conclusions about the nature and source of the compounds that were detected in this particular study. It is important to note, however, that the major manufacturers of fluorinated chemistries in the U.S., EU and Japan have stopped manufacturing the older, long-chain fluorinated chemistries, such as PFOA and PFOS, which have been the chemicals of concern to regulators.
“There are now specific, modern, short-chain PFAS chemicals that have been carefully reviewed and approved for use in coating food-contact papers to keep grease, oil and moisture from seeping through the packaging. So to find these chemistries in these products is neither surprising nor alarming, as long as they are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Because use of short-chain PFASs in food packaging is highly and rigorously regulated, any further regulation of modern-day short-chain food packaging materials is unnecessary and would provide no further benefits to human health or the environment.”