68 PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found by Scientists in Food Packaging Worldwide

New research by environmental scientists with Switzerland’s Food Packaging Forum Foundation has uncovered 68 per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) “forever chemicals” in food packaging — including plastic, paper and coated metal.

Used by manufacturers for decades in products like nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, cosmetics, firefighting foam and food packaging, more than 12,000 of the human-synthesized chemical compounds are known to exist, according to the study.

“There are thousands of these chemicals,” said Birgit Geueke, co-author of the study and a senior scientific officer with Food Packaging Forum, as New Scientist reported. “We wanted to get a picture of what is known about the presence of PFAS in food packaging.”

Scientists have discovered that PFAS have adverse health impacts, leading to many being banned, reported Phys.org. Recent research has demonstrated that the toxic substances can migrate into food.