Michigan bill bans PFAS in food packaging

A Michigan Senate committee is considering a bill that would amend Food Law Act 92 of 2000, and these changes would regulate the presence of various chemical compounds found in most plastic food packaging.

Senate Bill 327 was introduced by Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, on May 4. It was referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment Committee, which Irwin chairs.

Read it for yourself: Senate Bill 327 of 2023

This bill explicitly prohibits the manufacturing, sale, offering for sale, distribution for sale, or distribution for use of food packaging in Michigan when it is known that the packaging has been treated with bisphenols, phthalates, or chemicals containing perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl, better known as PFAS. All these chemicals can be found in plastic or used to produce plastic materials, such as food packaging.

The bill also bans food packaging treated with direct fluorination. Introducing fluorine to plastic materials enhances their properties, such as increasing their resistance to heat, chemicals, and UV radiation, thus preserving the plastic for a longer period of time.

If Senate Bill 327 is enacted into law, the ban would take effect Jan. 1, 2025.