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Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) today reintroduced the bipartisan Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act, which would prohibit intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – hazardous forever chemicals – in food packaging. 

PFAS is often talked about in relation to contaminating ground water and the environment, but these harmful substances are frequently used to greaseproof, waterproof, and give nonstick properties to food containers, cookware, and consumer products. And it has been proven that the PFAS in those containers can contaminate the food, causing liver disease, thyroid dysfunction, and several forms of cancer. The Environmental Working Group found that as many as 40 percent of fast-food wrappers and paper products tested positive for fluorine chemicals.

“You shouldn’t have to worry about chemicals seeping from containers into your food,” said Dingell. “PFAS chemicals are in products that we use every single day, and most Americans don’t even know the risks or daily exposure they face. Several states have already passed laws banning PFAS in food packaging, now we need strong federal legislation to ensure hazardous chemicals are not allowed near the food we eat.”

“As Co-Chair of the PFAS Task Force, I know all too well the grave threat PFAS contamination poses to public health and the environment in my district and nationwide. These toxic chemicals are a ticking time bomb, infiltrating our food and endangering our families—this is a public health crisis we can no longer ignore," Fitzpatrick said. "I have been fighting to shield our community from this toxic danger, but the urgency for bold action has never been greater. I am proud to join Rep. Dingell in advancing this critical bipartisan legislation to ban PFAS from food packaging and protect the health and safety of all Americans.”

The bill is supported by Toxic-Free Future.

‘“Across the U.S., we are paying for devastating pollution from PFAS “forever chemicals” with our health and our tax dollars. Twelve states and at least 24 major retailers have led the way in eliminating PFAS from food packaging, but we must do more to protect people and the planet from these toxic chemicals,” said Liz Hitchcock, director of Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, Toxic-Free Future’s federal policy program.  “Without a federal law, food packaging with these dangerous substances could still be used in other states or imported. We appreciate the work of Representatives Dingell and Fitzpatrick in sponsoring the bipartisan No PFAS in Food Containers Act to rid the nation of these harmful chemicals.  It is long past time for Congress to take PFAS off the menu nationwide.”

Scientific studies have linked PFAS chemicals to a variety of health hazards, including various cancers, increases in cholesterol levels, reproductive problems, as well as low birth weight and weakened childhood immunity. People are at higher risk for these health impacts when repeatedly exposed to PFAS, given that they bioaccumulate and do not degrade in the environment. Recent findings by the National Academy of Sciences as well as updated advisories by the Environmental Protection Agency have indicated that most Americans receive exposure to PFAS at a level of potential concern.

Dingell has long led the fight against PFAS as the sponsor of the PFAS Action Act, which includes establishing a strong national drinking water standard. Additionally, Dingell has introduced the No PFAS in Cosmetics Act and PFAS Alternatives Act. The designation of PFOS and PFOA – two of the most widely used and notoriously harmful PFAS substances – as hazardous substances by the EPA under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), is a key pillar of Dingell’s bipartisan PFAS Action Act.