Packaging Stewardship: Phasing Out Forever Chemicals

By Michelle Klieger, agricultural economist and the founder of Stratagerm Consulting

Key Takeaways: 

• Food packaging chemicals (particularly PFAS or “forever chemicals”) are facing increased scrutiny as many have not been fully tested for health impacts, with regulatory agencies working to provide better information to manufacturers.
• Regulations on forever chemicals in food packaging are evolving at state, federal, and international levels, with stricter rules expected by 2025, creating compliance challenges for food manufacturers.
• Companies are beginning to adopt PFAS-free packaging alternatives (like clay-coated paper, biowax, bamboo, and seaweed-based materials) to reduce financial and reputational risks as regulations tighten.

Packaging innovation has acted as a food savior for the last four decades. Not only have we become efficient at shipping food around the globe, we’ve managed to reduce food waste, bolster food safety and account for climate shifts during transit by leveraging food packaging formulations. Material science has developed into a crucial component of food preservation. Yet, like the use of fertilizers and pesticides, what has been positive for supply chain logistics is coming under greater scrutiny for its potential negative effects on human health and the environment.

Over 10,000 “concerning” chemicals have been approved for direct contact with food. However, only roughly 4,000 of those chemicals have ever undergone testing to examine how they are absorbed into food and how consumption of chemically saturated food impacts our long term health. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or forever chemicals as they are commonly called, are on consumer radars more than ever before. Regulatory agencies are working to transfer scientifically sound information to food manufacturers in order to better equip them in their decision making processes.

Increased urgency to understand and protect against forever chemicals is prompting food manufacturing companies to manage regulatory and supply chain risks, ensuring both compliance and continued profitability. 

Managing forever chemical regulations 

Food packaging decisions should be made with current regulations in mind, while also considering the potential for more stringent regulations in the future. The Environmental Protection Agency has a maximum contamination level framework that is expected to become more defined in the coming years and specifically prioritize food packaging regulations. However, individual states like California, Minnesota, and Oregon are taking measures into their own hands by issuing local regulations regarding food packaging and PFAS that mitigate the risk of chemicals contaminating water, soil, and food. For those involved in international purchasing, global regulations are likely to add complexity to the flow of goods as individual nations build regulatory policy.

Failure to comply with ever-evolving regulations can be costly. From a consumer perspective, contaminated food can taint a brand image. Your product might have all the “right” labeling to appeal to the ideal consumer, but you’ve boxed it up in packaging shoppers now associate with poisoned food. You’ll have to take a profit loss as you rebuild consumer trust while also spending resources to adapt your supply chain.

Whether at the state, federal or international level, the future of forever chemical regulation is likely to include fines for manufacturers who are out of compliance. It could be as simple as creating a regulatory compliance position to ensure your company stays up-to-date on changing parameters, new material options, and sourcing transparency and can adjust quickly. It might be time to consider switching suppliers, investing in tracking technology to ensure transparency and reexamine existing packaging formulas so you know exactly what you are working with as updated information becomes available. 

Managing your supply chain risks

Our food supply chains are complex. You may source your food products domestically but rely on packaging materials from around the globe to get those products into the hands of customers. As of 2021, 19 states in the U.S. have developed forever chemical regulations and most of them place the regulatory burden on food manufacturers to ensure packaging compliance. 

While these states have all worked to help phase out material formulations contributing to PFAS contamination in food, we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of our understanding of how chemicals are transferred from packaging into our food supply. Many of these states have new regulations around food packaging that will take effect in 2025.

Food companies switching to PFAS-free packaging options like clay-coated paper, biowax paper, bamboo, palm leaf, or even seaweed based material are choosing to invest in safer packaging now rather than risk financial liability later as regulations get stricter. But making these decisions requires understanding the nuances of your supply chain and the unique role that packaging plays in protecting your food products. A packaging option that is biodegradable and sourced from renewable materials might undergo a manufacturing process that includes forever chemicals. In other cases, packaging is free of harmful chemicals, but isn’t water or grease resistant, which compromises the quality and safety of the food. 

How long your food product is exposed to forever chemical packaging, whether it travels through cold or hot environments and how you need packaging to perform will all factor into your material decisions. One thing we do know, globally we are moving away from harmful chemical formulations and towards healthier options; the trajectory is set in motion. Where can you feasibly begin to decrease interactions between PFAS and your food products without jeopardizing the security of your supply chain?

Food manufacturers who formulate a game plan now will reduce their risk of financial loss later. Keep an eye out for up and coming innovations aimed at supporting packaging stewardship like edible wrapping, water soluble containers, and temperature controlled technology.

Michelle Klieger is an agricultural economist and the founder of Stratagerm Consulting, a food and agricultural consulting firm. She works with agricultural businesses, nonprofits, governments, and foundations. Michelle is a professional speaker, the author of The Demise of Free Trade, and host of The Grower & The Economist podcast.