REPORT - European survey on PFAS in food packaging
Générations Futures is an environmental protection association approved by the Ministry of Ecology since 2008 (renewed in 2014 and 2019), and recognised as being of general interest. The association was founded in 1996 (formerly called the Movement for the Rights and Respect of Future Generations or MDRGF) by an agricultural engineer, Georges Toutain, and a teacher, François Veillerette, co-author of the reference book "Pesticides, revelations on a French scandal", published by Fayard in 2007.
As part of its 'Desintox Campaign', Générations Futures participated in a groundbreaking European survey on the presence of perfluorinated substances (PFAS) in disposable food packaging and tableware made of paper, cardboard and moulded plant fibres.
The results show that the use of PFAS in disposable packaging appears to be widespread. Out of 42 products analysed in the laboratory, 32 samples, including packaging from major global catering chains, were reported to be intentionally treated with PFAS (according to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's indicator value for total organic fluorine
Of the 42 samples analysed, 17 were selected to investigate the disruption of thyroid activity as a potential adverse effect due to PFAS exposure . The ecotoxicity test performed (FITC-T4 bioanalysis) confirmed that PFASs in the tested food packaging samples had the potential to create thyroid hormone imbalances.
In France, out of a total of 15 samples collected, 6 were selected for analysis.The tests always revealed the presence of PFAS, with 5 samples showing a high concentration, probably intentional presence of these perfluorinated compounds (according to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration's indicator value for total organic fluorine [1]) and a trace presence for the sixth sample, probably due to the use of recycled paper containing PFAS as residues.
In addition to the persistence of these so-called "eternal pollutants" in the environment, scientific studies have associated exposure to a number of PFAS with adverse health effects, including the development of certain cancers, impacts on the immune, reproductive and hormonal systems, and reduced response to vaccinations. In the context of food packaging, studies have also shown that PFAS can migrate from the packaging into the food, adding to the overall exposure to PFAS of the general population.
Read the European survey on PFAS in food packaging