Given the concerns, why do PFAS and BPA remain in use? Simple: They’re useful. “They are so good at what they do,” Vorst said. Nobody wants hamburger grease leaking through the wrapper onto a car seat, for example, and nobody has come up with a better way to keep that grease contained. “I don’t think we have found an alternative chemistry that is as cost-effective and has the performance of these materials.”For now, the choices are largely left to individual consumers. “If we decide we really need them, we have to ask the question, well, is there a safe alternative?” Birnbaum said. “And if there’s a safe alternative, we switch to the alternative.”Editor’s note: This story was originally published on January 26, 2024. It has been updated with news of the phasing out of PFAS from food packaging.
‘Forever chemicals’ are hiding in your kitchen. Here’s where—and what you can do
