Bríd Smith urges ban on PFAS in single-use food products
Bríd Smith moved amendments 18 and 19 and called for a specific ban on a range of products such as single-use cups and plastic bags because of PFAS contamination. She argued the bill must address health implications of PFAS in food-contact materials as well as climate goals.
Amendment proposal
She sought to include in this section of the bill an explicit ban on products that bring food into contact with PFAS-containing materials, naming single-use cups and plastic bags among the examples.
Health risks highlighted
She cited recent research, particularly from the US, linking food contact with PFAS substances to serious health problems including liver damage, cancer and birth-development disorders.
PFAS described as "forever chemicals"
She explained PFAS are man-made chemicals used in items from non-stick pans to makeup and firefighting foams and stressed they do not break down in the environment, underpinning her call for regulatory action.
Scope of the bill and next steps
Smith urged the bill to take account of health implications rather than only the climate implications of a circular economy and pressed the amendment to secure the proposed ban in the legislation.
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Yes, I'll move 18 and 19 and we want it included in this section a specific ban on a range of products such as single-use cups, plastic bags etc because food contact with these materials has shown and recent research particularly from the US has shown that food contact with these chemical substances is very very dangerous. I can't pronounce them unfortunately but just to abbreviate PFAS substances are a class of man-made chemicals widely used in products ranging from non-stick pans to makeup to firefighting foams and they've come under increased scrutiny globally in response to the science linking PFAS exposure to health problems including liver damage, cancer and birth development disorder. They're dubbed forever chemicals because they don't break down in the environment so we think it'd be really important in this bill to take account of the health implications rather than just the climate implications of a circular economy and I want to press the amendment.
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