Fast-food restaurants should ditch packaging coated in ‘forever chemicals’

By Melanie Benesh (EWG)

Some fast-food restaurants are moving quickly to get the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS out of food packaging, but others have not committed to phasing them out.

PFAS in food are a significant source of exposure for many people. The chemicals can get into food through PFAS-contaminated irrigation water or through sewage sludge applied to food crops. They can also migrate into food from PFAS-coated food packaging.

Consumption of fast food, which uses lots of this type of packaging, has been shown to increase exposure to PFAS.

At least 17 fast-food companies have committed to stop the use of PFAS-coated food packaging, in some cases after pressure from consumer advocacy campaigns like Mind the Store. Some claim to have already phased out use of the chemicals, like Panera, with its baguette wrappers, and Chipotle, with its burrito bowls. (See Figure 1: Restaurants with PFAS commitments.)

Several grocery stores have also made commitments to stop using PFAS-coated packaging.

But some fast-food chains have not taken steps to eliminate these chemicals from their food packaging. EWG could not find any commitments to phase out PFAS out on the companies’ websites, in public statements, or in news reports. (See Figure 2: Restaurants without PFAS commitments.)

“Forever chemicals” have been linked to serious health concerns, including cancer, harm to fetal development and reduced vaccine effectiveness.

Leading scientists have argued we should eliminate non-essential uses of PFAS, such as food packaging, as quickly as possible.

Phase-out is slow

Recent test results released by Consumer Reports show that PFAS are still widely used in food packaging, even among retailers that have committed to moving away from them, like McDonald’s, Burger King, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell. The test results showed they all used packaging with detectable levels of organic fluorine, a strong indicator of PFAS.

PFAS were even found in packaging used by companies that claim to have already phased them out, like Sweetgreen and Chipotle.

Voluntary commitments by manufacturers and retailers – in this case, the fast-food companies and grocery stores – go only so far in addressing widespread PFAS contamination. Even voluntary efforts by fast-food chains to end use of the chemicals due to marketplace pressure won't solve the issue.

What’s essential is for the Food and Drug Administration to step in to quickly ban the use of all PFAS in food packaging.

The FDA dragging its heels

But the agency has been slow to take action to protect consumers from the chemicals.

The FDA has understood since 1966 that PFAS could increase cholesterol and cause liver lesions. It has banned just a handful of PFAS from food packaging, and only then in response to petitions from advocacy organizations or industry reports that they are no longer using certain PFAS.

The FDA initiated a voluntary phase-out of some additional PFAS in 2020 but gives manufacturers until 2025 to get products off the shelves.

States are also acting ahead of the FDA. Seven have banned PFAS from food packaging, and nine others are considering similar bills this year.

The FDA should follow the lead of retailers and states. In 2021, public health groups petitioned the agency to ban all PFAS from food packaging. Congress has also introduced bipartisan legislation, the Keep Our Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act, that would ban PFAS from food packaging beginning in 2024.