California cracks down on ‘forever chemicals,’ or PFAS, found in food packaging

California Attorney General Rob Bonta hosted a press conference on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at Los Angeles State Historic Park, to warn companies of their responsibility to disclose the presence of dangerous PFAS under Assembly Bill 1200.

He issued a letter to manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of food packaging and cookware, alerting them that they must adhere to AB 1200, a recently enacted law that restricts the presence of PFAS in food packaging and imposes labeling disclosure requirements for cookware.

Bonta also issued a consumer alert with tips for reducing exposure to PFAS, referred to as “forever chemicals” which include thousands of toxic chemicals widely used in every day products including food packaging, cookware, clothing, carpets, shoes, fabrics, polishes, waxes, paints and cleaners.

“Like so many Californians, I am greatly concerned about PFAS exposure,” Bonta said in a press release. “These chemicals are toxic and are all around us. … As the People’s Attorney, I’ve been turning that concern into concrete action by holding accountable big PFAS manufacturers like 3M and DuPont and supporting federal efforts to better protect Americans’ drinking water supply from PFAS.”

Bonta said the PFAS enforcement advisory letter and the consumer alert that he issued “continue these important efforts to protect Californians from harm.”

AB 1200 took effect January 1, 2023, prohibiting the manufacture, distribution, or sale of plant-based (paper) food packaging that contains PFAS. AB 1200 also requires cookware manufacturers to disclose — on the internet or on product labels — the presence of PFAS and other chemicals. It also prohibits manufacturers from claiming their cookware is PFAS-free unless certain conditions are met.

Susan Little, a senior advocate for California government affairs at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), said in the press release, “PFAS are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they are among the most persistent compounds in existence. They never break down in the environment, and they build up in people. These chemicals don’t belong in our food packaging or our food. Exposure to PFAS isn’t just a concern; it’s a substantial health hazard. Studies have linked them to increased cancer risks and devastating impacts on reproductive and immune systems, even at tiny concentrations.”

Dr. Max Aung, assistant professor in the division of environmental health at USC, said that national health studies have detected PFAS “in nearly all U.S. residents.” He said in the press release, “There is increasing evidence in human studies and experimental models that PFAS are linked to several chronic health conditions. … These findings, coupled with increasing community concerns about PFAS contamination, underscore the need to use the best available science and multi-sector partnerships to reduce exposure and protect human health and the environment.”

Source: Orange County Register