PFAS, the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s.
Because PFAS are bioaccumulative and toxic, they have become a global environmental and health focus. As authorities and companies in many countries have paid increasing attention to PFAS in recent years, they have become a hot topic in the market.

Common PFAS applications

Food packaging materials and equipment: including food contact paper and paperboard, and the use of processing equipment that carries PFAS.

Commercial and household products: including stain-resistant and water-repellent fabrics, non-stick products such as PTFE, polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products and fire-fighting foams, which are a major source of groundwater contamination at fire training airports and military bases.

Workplaces: including industrial processes in which PFAS are used, such as chrome plating, electronics manufacturing and oil recovery.
Drinking water: usually localized and associated with specific facilities such as manufacturing plants, landfills, wastewater treatment plants and firefighter training facilities.
Living organisms: including animals, especially marine animals, and humans. Because PFAS are strongly bioaccumulative, they tend to build up in organisms.

Hazards of PFAS
PFAS can induce liver toxicity, developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, endocrine disruption and potential carcinogenicity. PFAS in soil, water or air can be taken up by plants and animals and thus contaminate food. Because they are extremely stable and difficult to biodegrade, they cause persistent environmental harm.
Regulatory control of PFAS
European Union
REACH Annex XVII Entry 68:
C9-C14 PFCAs and their salts, in total, less than 25 ppb; C9-C14 PFCA-related substances, in total, not more than 260 ppb.
POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants):
PFOA and its salts, not more than 0.025 mg/kg
PFOA-related substances, not more than 1 mg/kg
PFOS and its derivatives:
Substances and mixtures, not more than 10 mg/kg 
In textiles or other coated materials, not more than 1 ug/m2
Articles, not more than 0.1%

United States
[New York State]
Ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in apparel (Bill A07063A) and carpets (Bill A09279A), effective 31 December 2023.
[California]
Ban on PFAS in plant-based food packaging.
Ban on manufacturing and selling textiles containing PFAS above 100 ppm measured as total organic fluorine, effective 1 January 2025.
For cookware whose handle or any food contact surface contains one or more intentionally added chemicals on the specified list, information must be disclosed on the website; from 1 January 2024 the presence of these chemicals must be stated on the product label.
[Colorado]
Where a cookware handle or food contact surface contains PFAS, the manufacturer must declare it on the product label. Effective 1 January 2024.