Oct 20, 2021
[Image: courtesy Core Companies]
Editor’s Note: Alongside carrying these “forever chemicals", food packaging is additionally often designed to use single-use plastic. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food and food packaging materials make up almost half of all municipal solid waste. In 2014 alone, out of the 258 million tons of municipal solid waste generated in the US, more than 63% was packaging materials. Some CEA Food Brands are changing this with their more eco-conscious packaging.
CONTENT SOURCED FROM HUNTER COLLEGE NEW YORK CITY FOOD POLICY CENTER
Policy name: California Safer Food Packaging and Cookware Act of 2021
Overview: The California Assembly has approved a bill that will ban PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), also known as toxic “forever chemicals,” from food packaging and will require warning labels on cookware that contain them.
Location: California
Population: 39.6 million
Food policy category: Food supply and distribution, preventive health
Program goals: To remove toxic chemicals from the environment, to protect wildlife and water supplies, and to protect human health.
How it works: PFAS help to make materials non-stick, as well as grease- and water-resistant. Starting on January 1, 2023, PFAS will be banned from paper-based food packaging such as paper wrappers, liners, bags, sleeves, plates, bowls, straws, and takeout containers. Then, starting January 1, 2024, cookware manufacturers will be required to label their products to disclose the presence of harmful chemicals, including PFAS and BPA (Bisphenol A).
Progress to date: The bill was introduced by Assemblymember Phil Ting in February 2021, passed in the Senate on September 3 and in the Assembly on September 7. It was sent to Governor Gavin Newsom for signing on September 13.
Why it is important: PFAS are man-made chemicals that do not break down and may have adverse effects on human health. Not only do PFAS leach into the food with which they come in contact, but they can also infiltrate the air, soil, and water supplies when disposed of in landfills. PFAS exposure has been associated with an increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, certain types of cancer, thyroid disruption, and, in children, a decreased vaccine response.
Program/Policy Initiated: The PFAS ban on paper products will go into effect in January 2023.
Similar practices: California is one of several states that have recently banned PFAS from food packaging, along with Connecticut, Maine, New York, Vermont, and Washington.
