State of Connecticut, USA, Bans PFAS in Food Packaging

On July 13, 20t21, the governor of the US state of Connecticut signed Substitute for Raised Senate Bill No. 837 (Act No. 21-191) into law. The new Act repeals the state’s general statutes Section 22a-255i ‘Sale of packaging components or packaging composed of lead, cadmium, mercury or hexavalent chromium’ and, in part, adds new language by 1) prohibiting intentionally added PFAS in food packaging and 2) prohibiting a material used to replace a regulated chemical under Sections 22a-255g to 22a-255m in a package or packaging component in a quantity or manner that creates a hazard as great as, or greater than, the hazard by the regulated chemicals in these sections (current specific metals are lead, cadmium, mercury and chromium (VI)).  

According to the definitions in the Act, ‘Perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)’ and ‘Food packaging’ have the following meanings:

• PFAS means all members of the class of fluorinated organic chemicals containing at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom
• Food packaging means any package or packaging component that is applied to or in direct contact with any food or beverage

Highlights of the Act are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1

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