PFAS in Food Packaging: What's Actually in Your Takeaway Container

By Lowtoxgear Editorial · Updated

Takeaway food is one of the less obvious PFAS exposure pathways. The wrapper or box that your food comes in is not something most people think about as a chemical source — but grease-proof food packaging has historically been one of the most widespread uses of PFAS outside of industrial applications.

The scale of the problem has shifted significantly in recent years as bans come into effect and food service operators switch to alternatives. But understanding what to look for, and what the practical mitigation is, remains useful. This is one part of the broader PFAS exposure picture.

The short answer

PFAS have been used in food packaging to resist grease and moisture — in fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, pizza boxes, and moulded fibre containers. Studies have confirmed migration of PFAS into food, with higher transfer at elevated temperatures and with longer contact time. Several US states, the EU, Denmark, and some Australian jurisdictions have restricted or are phasing out PFAS in food packaging. For consumers, the main practical steps are: reduce how frequently you eat food from grease-proof packaging, avoid reheating food in its original packaging, and transfer hot food to plates or non-coated containers promptly. The exposure risk from occasional takeaway contact is likely low; habitual daily contact adds to cumulative load.

Why this happens

Food packaging faces a difficult engineering challenge: it needs to hold hot, wet, or greasy food without leaking, getting soggy, or transferring flavours to the food. Fluorochemical coatings solve this elegantly. A thin PFAS treatment on paper makes it simultaneously water-resistant, grease-resistant, and heat-stable. This is why the technology became standard across fast food and food service from the 1960s onwards.

The concern about migration was confirmed by multiple studies measuring PFAS levels in food after contact with coated packaging. A 2019 study published in Environmental Science and Technology found PFAS in a majority of fast food packaging samples tested across US chains. Microwave popcorn bags showed particularly high levels because the food is cooked inside the bag at high temperature for several minutes — maximising both heat and contact time.

Australia's Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has assessed PFAS migration from food packaging as part of its PFAS dietary exposure assessments. For most Australians, dietary exposure from packaging is a contributor to total PFAS intake alongside other sources including drinking water in affected areas. FSANZ has not set specific migration limits for PFAS in food packaging, but monitoring is ongoing as the regulatory framework develops.

What to look for

High-risk packaging: Microwave popcorn bags (cooked inside the bag), burger wrappers (hot grease contact), moulded fibre bowls labelled as grease-resistant, paper sandwich wrappers that repel grease.
Lower-risk packaging: Plain cardboard boxes without a grease-resistant coating, wax paper, silicone-coated unbleached baking paper, PLA (polylactic acid) lined containers (used by some sustainable food service operators).
How to tell the difference: Grease-resistant PFAS-coated paper often has a slight sheen or feel. Plain cardboard or paper will absorb grease visibly. This is not a reliable test, but it is an indicator.
For food businesses and catering: PFAS-free food service packaging is available from several Australian distributors and is increasingly cost-competitive with conventional options.

What to do

Transfer hot food promptly. The longer hot food sits in contact with PFAS-coated packaging, the more migration occurs. Moving food to a plate or ceramic container immediately reduces contact time.
Never reheat food in takeaway packaging. Reheating in a microwave or oven dramatically increases migration. Transfer to a glass or ceramic container first.
Stop buying microwave popcorn bags. Pop corn in a plain brown paper bag in the microwave (fold the top twice, no staples) — it works just as well, and the bag contains no PFAS coating. Or use a covered glass bowl.
Cook at home more. The most effective way to reduce PFAS from food packaging is simply not to eat food from coated packaging. This has other health benefits and is worth noting as a compounding factor.
Browse PFAS-free kitchen products for alternatives to single-use packaging.