What are PFAS?

Logo: PFAS-free. Bags from Anduro Manufacturing are PFAS-free.

Bags from Anduro Manufacturing are PFAS-free.

PFAS are a class of chemicals recently found by one environmental group to be contaminating some paper pet food bags.

PFAS is typically not found in bags manufactured from polypropylene and polyethylene — the materials used by Anduro in its manufacturing process — but has been found in paper pet food bags.

According to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a part of the Centers for Disease Control, “PFAS are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1940s. They have been used to make nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil.”

Most people in the United States have been exposed to PFAS and have PFAS in their blood, ATSDR reports.

What’s the effect of PSAS on humans and animals? ATSDR says the data are currently (as of Nov 1, 2022) inconclusive:

“While it is difficult to show that substances directly cause health conditions in humans, scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals. More research is needed to better understand the health effects of PFAS exposure.”

This article is related to “Despite some recent headlines, most pet food bags are not hazardous to your furry friends.”