Most of the nation’s plastic sandwich baggies contain toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, an analysis suggests, raising questions about the products’ safety in the US.
Testing of 11 types of baggies made by major producers showed high levels of a marker of PFAS in nine.
The analysis, conducted by an Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab and commissioned by the Mamavation blog, is the latest to highlight the use of PFAS in the nation’s food packaging.
US Food and Drug Administration rules allow much higher levels of some individual PFAS compounds in plastic than what the testing found, but the FDA is working off “outdated science” and the baggies present a health threat, said Maricel Maffini, a researcher with the Environmental Defense Fund who tracks PFAS in food.
“The more we look into PFAS, the more we know there is not a safe level, and the [FDA’s limits] don’t correspond with the science and knowledge we have of these chemicals,” she said.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 15,000 chemicals often used to make products resistant to water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and are linked to cancer, liver problems, thyroid issues, birth defects, kidney disease, decreased immunity and other serious health problems.
Contaminated food represents the main exposure route to PFAS, though most regulatory attention has focused on water. The FDA has faced criticism from independent scientists who say it is failing to protect the public from concerning levels of PFAS found in a range of foods.
Packaging is a major source of contamination. PFAS are widely added to packaging to prevent foods from sticking to products or as a grease-proofing agent, and research shows the chemicals can migrate at high levels into food and liquids. PFAS are also used to prevent plastics from sticking to equipment during manufacturing, which is what probably accounts for the chemicals found in the baggies, Maffini said.
Mamavation’s testing showed levels between 9 parts per million (ppm) and 34ppm, while the FDA allows up to 2,000ppm for seven types of PFAS it allows to be used in food-contact plastic. But it is unclear which PFAS were added to the baggies because the test did not look for individual compounds.
The revelation comes just after the EPA found that virtually no level of exposure to some PFAS in drinking water is safe, and a growing body of independent research shows widespread exposure to similar levels in food.
Regulators also have a history of allowing subgroups of PFAS to be added to packaging at high levels, only to later determine the products were poisoning consumers.
Among the brands Mamavation found contained the chemicals are Boulder, Complete Home, Great Value, If You Care, Lunchskins, Meijer, Target and Walgreens.
The only brand that did not show any markers of PFAS was Ziploc. Public health advocates say the best way consumers can protect themselves is to use glass containers instead of plastic.
