Can PFAS in grease-proof food wrapping get into your food?

What's actually in it

PFAS-based grease proofers are applied to paper food wrappers, bakery bags, pizza boxes, and microwave popcorn bags to keep grease from soaking through. The most common one is 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH). When food sits in these wrappers, especially hot or greasy food, PFAS chemicals transfer from the paper into what you eat.

Fast food, takeout, and grab-and-go meals are the biggest sources because they spend the most time in contact with treated packaging.

What the research says

A 2026 study in J Agric Food Chem validated a screening method to detect 6:2 FTOH in fiber-based food packaging. They tested real food wrappers from the market.

Many food wrappers tested positive for PFAS-based grease proofers. The screening confirmed that 6:2 FTOH was the dominant PFAS compound in these products.

Once confirmed, the researchers showed that the chemical migrates from wrapper to food under normal use conditions. Hot, fatty foods like burgers and fries absorbed the most.

You can reduce exposure by unwrapping takeout food as soon as possible, transferring it to plates rather than eating from the wrapper, and avoiding microwaving food in its original packaging.