Organic fluorine, a PFAS marker, turned up in packaging from McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Chipotle, and Sweetgreen in Consumer Reports' 2022 tests. In Toxic-Free Future's 2020 study, every molded fiber bowl and tray tested from salad chains was above the fluorine screening level. Microwave popcorn bags have long been a high-risk category.
In 2020, Toxic-Free Future and the Mind the Store campaign published Packaged in Pollution, which tested take-out packaging from Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, Cava, Freshii, and Sweetgreen. Nearly half of the samples were above the fluorine screening level that suggests PFAS treatment, and at the salad chains, 100% of the molded fiber bowls and trays (the thick, compostable-style containers used for salads and warm bowls) were above it.
This matters because compostable doesn't mean safe. Plant-fiber containers leak grease unless they are treated, and PFAS was a common treatment. You traded one problem for another.
Check your tap water for PFAS by ZIP code – food packaging isn't your only exposure source.
The main independent source is Consumer Reports' 2022 test of 118 food packaging products from 24 retailers, which measured total organic fluorine (a PFAS marker). Here's what it found for major brands.
| Brand | Product Category | PFAS Status | Source & Year | |-------|------------------|-------------|---------------| | McDonald's | Burger wrappers, fry containers | Detected; a Big Mac container topped 100 ppm organic fluorine | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Burger King | Sandwich wrappers | Detected in packaging tested | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Wendy's | Sandwich wrappers, fry bags | Detected in packaging tested | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Chipotle | Bowls and bags | Detected despite a reduced-PFAS claim | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Sweetgreen | Bowls and bags | Detected; an "EcoCraft" focaccia bag topped 100 ppm | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Trader Joe's | Microwave popcorn bags | No published independent test of this product | – | | Act II | Microwave popcorn bags | No published independent test of this product | – | | Pop Secret | Microwave popcorn bags | Subject of a 2023 class action alleging PFAS; no published independent test | – | | Whole Foods 365 | Takeout containers | Detected; one soup container at 21 ppm | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Panera Bread | Soup cups, sandwich wraps | Detected despite a reduced-PFAS claim | Consumer Reports 2022 | | Starbucks | Pastry bags, sandwich boxes | Not tested | – | | Chick-fil-A | Sandwich wrappers | Detected; second-highest item in the test (since replaced, the company said) | Consumer Reports 2022 |
Two things jump out. First, "compostable" and eco-friendly labels don't mean PFAS-free – every product with those claims had some organic fluorine. Second, the brands that publicly committed to phase-outs (such as McDonald's and Burger King) aren't publishing third-party test results yet, so those commitments rest on their word.
In Consumer Reports' 2022 testing, more than half of the 118 packaging products had detectable organic fluorine, 37 topped 20 ppm and 22 topped 100 ppm. McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's all had packaging with detectable levels.
But here's the uncertainty: total organic fluorine is a proxy test, not a direct PFAS measurement. It flags most fluorinated treatments but can't say which PFAS are present, and it can pick up other fluorinated compounds. It's a solid screening tool, not a perfect one.
McDonald's said in 2021 that it would remove added PFAS from its guest packaging worldwide by 2025. That deadline has now passed, and independent test results confirming the change have not been published.
Learn more about what PFAS actually are and why they persist.
Toxic-Free Future's 2020 testing found that every molded fiber bowl and tray it sampled from the salad chains was above its fluorine screening level. Consumer Reports' 2022 tests found organic fluorine in every product carrying eco-friendly or reduced-PFAS claims, and several topped 100 ppm, the limit California set for food packaging starting in 2023.
Here's the short version: plant-based fiber leaks grease. Plastic doesn't. So manufacturers spray the fiber with PFAS to make it act like plastic. You get the environmental upside of composting and the chemical downside of forever chemicals that leach into your food.
This is the counterintuitive part. Fast food wrappers testing dirty is no surprise, since grease-proof paper has been a known PFAS source for years. But compostable bowls marketed as the clean alternative? That's a harder pill to swallow.
A 2019 Silent Spring Institute analysis of national biomonitoring (NHANES) data, published in Environmental Health Perspectives by Susmann and colleagues, linked eating microwave popcorn to higher blood levels of several PFAS. The bag's interior coating has to hold up to high heat and repel butter, which is the job grease-proofing chemicals were used for.
Brand-level independent test data for microwave popcorn is thin. Consumer Reports' 2022 packaging test focused on restaurant and grocery packaging, and Pop Secret's maker faced a 2023 class action alleging PFAS in its bags. Without published lab results, no popcorn bag can be called PFAS-free with confidence.
Quinn Popcorn says its bags use no PFAS coating, which is a brand claim rather than an independent test.
Check all 29 PFAS compounds tracked by the EPA – food packaging is only one route of exposure.
In February 2024, the FDA announced that grease-proofing substances containing PFAS are no longer being sold by manufacturers for food contact use in the U.S. market. Three things about that:
First, it was the end of a voluntary phase-out the FDA began with manufacturers in 2020, not a ban. No regulation stops PFAS-treated packaging from returning.
Second, it covers grease-proofing agents for paper and paperboard sold in the U.S. Packaging made abroad and other food-contact uses of PFAS fall outside it.
Third, the FDA did not publish a PFAS limit for finished packaging. Some states did: California's limit is 100 ppm total organic fluorine, and Denmark uses 20 ppm.
So the change helps, but it's not the clean break the headlines implied.
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Several companies have publicly committed to removing added PFAS from their packaging:
These commitments are worth credit. But until independent labs retest and confirm, they can't be called PFAS-free.
Skip the compostable containers. Bring your own glass or stainless steel if you're getting takeout. Sounds annoying, but it works.
For fast food, unwrap the burger and put it on a plate as soon as you get home. PFAS migrates faster when the food is hot and greasy. You can't eliminate exposure, but the 2019 Silent Spring Institute analysis found that people who ate more meals prepared at home had lower blood levels of some PFAS.
Microwave popcorn: switch to stovetop or an air popper. If you must use bags, favor a brand that publishes PFAS test results for its packaging.
And check your water. According to the EPA's UCMR5 data, PFAS contamination varies wildly by ZIP code. Food packaging matters, but where water is contaminated it can be a larger daily source.
Food packaging is only one PFAS source; diet overall, drinking water, and household dust all contribute, and contaminated water can dominate where it occurs. But packaging gets attention because it feels more controllable. You can choose a different brand. You can't easily choose a different municipal water supply.
The FDA regulates food-contact materials under a framework designed in the 1950s. Chemicals are presumed safe until proven harmful. PFAS compounds got approved decades ago, one at a time, with no cumulative risk assessment. We're now trying to unwind that decision chemical by chemical, brand by brand.
Frankly, waiting for voluntary phase-outs isn't a plan. States including New York, California, and Washington have banned intentionally added PFAS in some or all food packaging, with the first bans taking effect in 2022 and 2023. Those state laws will probably force national change faster than FDA guidance.
Explore the full list of EPA-regulated contaminants beyond PFAS.
The research here is early. Most studies measure PFAS migration from packaging into food using lab conditions – 200°F for 2 hours, that sort of thing. Real-world exposure depends on how hot the food is, how long it sits in the container, and how greasy the food is. Those variables make it hard to estimate actual risk.
We also don't know which PFAS compounds are in each brand's packaging. Fluorine testing tells you PFAS is present but not which one. Some PFAS are more toxic than others. That matters.
And we don't know how much packaging contributes relative to other sources. No federal agency publishes a firm percentage, and the share varies with diet, water supply, and home environment. For frequent takeout eaters, it adds up over years.
No, but most major chains tested positive in Consumer Reports' 2022 tests. McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's all had packaging with detectable organic fluorine, and a Chick-fil-A item had the second-highest level (the company said it was replaced). Chains that committed to phase-outs (such as McDonald's and Burger King) haven't published independent test results yet.
No. In Toxic-Free Future's 2020 testing, every molded fiber bowl and tray sampled from salad chains was above the fluorine screening level for PFAS. Manufacturers have treated plant-fiber bowls with fluorochemical coatings to make them grease-proof. Plastic containers don't typically contain PFAS, though they have other chemical concerns (phthalates, BPA).
Likely. Lab migration studies show PFAS moves from treated paper into food more readily at higher temperatures, with longer contact, and with fatty foods. So get hot, greasy food out of the wrapper promptly and don't microwave food in its original packaging.
No brand has published independent lab results confirming PFAS-free bags. Quinn says its bags use no PFAS coating, and Pop Secret's maker faced a 2023 class action alleging PFAS, so treat every bag claim as unverified and consider stovetop or air-popped popcorn.
Not with a formal ban. In February 2024 the FDA announced that PFAS grease-proofing agents are no longer being sold for food packaging in the U.S., the end of a voluntary phase-out begun in 2020. Because it's voluntary, there's no enforcement mechanism. States including New York, California, and Washington have their own bans, which took effect starting in 2022 and 2023. Those laws may force a national shift faster than federal action.
Is all fast food packaging contaminated with PFAS? No, but most major chains tested positive in Consumer Reports' 2022 tests. McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's all had packaging with detectable organic fluorine, and a Chick-fil-A item had the second-highest level (the company said it was replaced). Chains that committed to phase-outs (such as McDonald's and Burger King) haven't published independent test results yet.
Are compostable bowls safer than plastic containers? No. In Toxic-Free Future's 2020 testing, every molded fiber bowl and tray sampled from salad chains was above the fluorine screening level for PFAS. Manufacturers have treated plant-fiber bowls with fluorochemical coatings to make them grease-proof. Plastic containers don't typically contain PFAS, though they have other chemical concerns (phthalates, BPA).
Does heating food in PFAS packaging make it worse? Likely. Lab migration studies show PFAS moves from treated paper into food more readily at higher temperatures, with longer contact, and with fatty foods. So get hot, greasy food out of the wrapper promptly and don't microwave food in its original packaging.
Which popcorn brands are PFAS-free? No brand has published independent lab results confirming PFAS-free bags. Quinn says its bags use no PFAS coating, and Pop Secret's maker faced a 2023 class action alleging PFAS, so treat every bag claim as unverified and consider stovetop or air-popped popcorn.
Will the FDA ban PFAS in food packaging? Not with a formal ban. In February 2024 the FDA announced that PFAS grease-proofing agents are no longer being sold for food packaging in the U.S., the end of a voluntary phase-out begun in 2020. Because it's voluntary, there's no enforcement mechanism. States including New York, California, and Washington have their own bans, which took effect starting in 2022 and 2023. Those laws may force a national shift faster than federal action.