Rhode Island Extends Effective Date of PFAS Ban in Food Packaging

The Rhode Island legislature recently passed a bill to extend the effective date of a ban on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging from January 1, 2024, until July 31, 2024. The bill, 2023—S0724, which focuses on PFAS in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water, was signed into law by Governor Dan McKee on June 22, 2023. As introduced, the bill did not include the extension of the effective date of the ban on PFAS in food packaging; it was added later as an amendment as a part of a substitute bill, on June 12, 2023.

The ban on PFAS in food packaging was incorporated into Rhode Island law when 2022-H 7438A / 2022-S 2044A were signed into law by Governor McKee on June 29, 2022. The bills ban the manufacture, sale, or distribution of food packaging to which PFAS has been intentionally added, including use as a processing aid in film production. (For more information, see the Packaginglaw.com article, Navigating U.S. Federal and State Regulations of PFAS in Applications Involving Food.)