Perfluorinated and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) are on the radar of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union. From 2024, their use in the manufacture of food packaging, among other things, will be highly regulated. This new legislation should not come as a surprise to paper manufacturer Drewsen Spezialpapiere, based in Lachendorf, Germany. Since 2017, Drewsen Spezialpapiere has been marketing a range of fluorine-free greaseproof papers called ProBarrier Nature.
And the papermaker, born in 1538, has just extended this range with a low grammage of 32 g/m² 2 . ProBarrier Nature are food papers guaranteed by Drewsen to be 100% PFAS-free, offering high resistance to grease and water. They are available up to 120 g/m 2 are compostable and recyclable.
PFAS, chemical substances in great demand but destined to disappear
PFAS are used in a wide range of applications thanks to their water-repellent, dirt-repellent and grease-repellent properties, as well as their resistance to extreme heat. They are found, for example, in raincoats, cushions, carpets... and, of course, in certain food packaging papers. PFAS are nicknamed "eternal pollutants" because they accumulate in the environment even after disposal.
From the beginning of 2024, the FDA will require US manufacturers to find sustainable alternatives and thus phase out the use of PFASs. The European Union plans to ban PFASs by 2025. Denmark and California have already banned them.
Frédéric Delage, Head of France at EPP-Chavassieu (import agent for European paper and cardboard manufacturers), explains: "Some major customers are ahead of the legislation and have already switched to PFAS-Free papers, but their systematic use is not yet established. With ProBarrier Nature, Drewsen is establishing itself as a benchmark producer for the coming years."
