PFAS Grease Proof Food Packaging: The Hidden Risk in Your Bag

The PFAS Hiding in Your Takeout

Your takeout bag isn't just paper. To keep grease from soaking through, manufacturers have spent years coating fiber-based food packaging with polymeric PFAS. Even though these chemicals were supposedly removed from the market, a 2026 study from the FDA confirms they are still present and detectable in food contact materials.

Researchers developed a new, rapid screening method to identify 6:2-fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2-FTOH), a key component in these grease-proofers. The results were clear: they identified six different types of PFAS-based grease-proofers across various fiber-based packaging materials. The method proved highly accurate, with less than a 5% false positive or negative rate, confirming that these persistent chemicals are still being used to line the bags, wrappers, and boxes that touch your food.

What You Can Do

You cannot see or smell these chemicals, and they don't just stay on the paper. They migrate into your food, especially when the food is hot or fatty. The only way to avoid them is to stop bringing them into your home.

Start by ditching single-use paper takeout containers whenever possible. When you bring leftovers home, transfer them immediately to glass or stainless steel containers instead of leaving them in the original packaging. For your own kitchen, we have curated a selection of non-toxic kitchen alternatives that allow you to store and carry food without the chemical coating. It is a simple switch that keeps these persistent compounds out of your body.

Source: Ackerman LK, Scholl PF, Ridge CD, Janovick J, Yourick I (2026). J Agric Food Chem.