The Food and Drug Administration bans common chemical in pizza boxes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned a chemical commonly used in pizza boxes because there’s a reasonable chance it could cause harm to consumers’ health.

The Perfluoroalkyl ethyl is used in food contact substances (FCSs) that act as oil and water repellants for paper and paperboard, which comes in contact with aqueous and fatty foods. FDA says new data is available that shows the toxicity of substances structurally similar to these compounds that demonstrate there is no longer a reasonable certainty of no harm from the food-contact use of these FCSs.

Food Safety News, an advocacy group that reports on foodborne illness outbreaks, recalls and changes imposed by the FDA, reported that the change applies to three types of perfluoroalkyl ethyl, which is used in food contact substances (FCS). FCSs work like water and oil repellents to prevent paper products, like pizza boxes, from getting soggy when they come in contact with greasy or fatty foods.
Previous research has linked exposure to long-chain perfluorinated compounds with birth defects.