US FDA warns industry to avoid certain plastic fluorination practices

摘要

The US FDA has reminded businesses that only certain fluorinated plastic receptacles are authorised for food contact applications. The move to ensure awareness follows the discovery of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination in some fluorinated pesticide vessels. As Chemical Watch reported last week, the agency has been examining food-related polyethylene fluorination since it learned via an EPA investigation that PFASs known as perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) can form and leach from fluorinated high-density polyethylene (HDPE) vessels. Fluorination enhances receptacle surfaces’ chemical barrier function, but PFCAs can persist in human bodies and harm health, according to the FDA.