PFAS
A family of thousands of fluorinated chemicals used to make things resist water, grease and stains. They do not break down in the body or the environment, which is why they are called forever chemicals. The CDC has found them in the blood of almost every American it has tested.
Definition and health context from ATSDR.
We checked 3,681 products and found pfas reported or likely in 458 of them.
Where pfas turns up
Categories we grade, worst first, as a share of what we scored in each.
| Category | Flagged | Scored | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incontinence Pads | 15 | 15 | 100% |
| Microwave Popcorn | 18 | 20 | 90% |
| Fast-Casual Food Packaging | 11 | 13 | 85% |
| Frozen French Fries & Frozen Food Bags | 12 | 15 | 80% |
| Nonstick Saucepans | 12 | 15 | 80% |
| Air Fryers | 149 | 189 | 79% |
| Cookware | 156 | 217 | 72% |
| Backpacks | 10 | 15 | 67% |
| Deli Meat & Cold Cuts Packaging | 10 | 15 | 67% |
| Period Pads | 28 | 43 | 65% |
| Tents | 13 | 20 | 65% |
| Rain Jackets | 24 | 38 | 63% |
| Grease-Resistant Butcher & Deli Paper | 23 | 37 | 62% |
| Waterproof Boots | 28 | 47 | 60% |
Where we found real evidence
Reported or likely, lowest scoring first. Not plausibility.
Heating PTFE above 500°F (260°C) releases perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) precursors and other fluorinated gases; acute exposure causes polymer fume fever (reversible). Risk is real but preventable with low-to-medium heat discipline on cooktops.
PTFE-coated cookware is documented to release fluorine-containing fumes (including carbonyl fluoride) above 500°F. While acute polymer fume fever is rare in home kitchens, it can occur with careless overheating or preheating on high. All-Clad does not provide
Above 500°F, PTFE releases perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) precursors and other fluorinated gases. BBQ environments routinely exceed this threshold, especially in direct flame or high-heat zones, creating inhalation risk (PTFE fume inhalation illness presents as
PTFE-based nonstick coatings are established to release hydrogen fluoride and other toxic fumes when heated above 500°F. This product lacks explicit temperature limiters; users must manually monitor heat. Pet birds and sensitive individuals are at highest risk
Glad's silence on whether this sheet contains PTFE, GenX, PFOA alternatives, or is truly PFAS-free is the core issue. Competitors openly disclose; absence of disclosure suggests either older formulations or unwillingness to market on safety grounds.
The parchment industry historically uses fluorochemical compounds (PFOA, PTFE, or other PFAS) to achieve water and oil repellency; Glad has not confirmed whether this product is PFAS-free, making this a significant concern if the brand has not switched formula
Reynolds has not disclosed whether this coating contains PFAS. Nonstick coatings historically used PFOA and other legacy fluorochemicals; many manufacturers have phased these out but do not always communicate substitutes to consumers. This product's PFAS statu
Unconfirmed coating type makes assessment indirect, but budget nonstick pans of this profile historically use PTFE. Overheating above 500°F releases toxic fumes; decomposition can occur at 400-425°F with oil. Gotham Steel provides no safe-temperature guidance.
KitchenAid does not disclose nonstick coating type. If PTFE-based (the industry standard), temperatures above 500°F trigger decomposition into perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) precursors and other volatile compounds. Overheating nonstick bakeware in a home oven h
Xylan coatings are manufactured by Chemours and historically have included PTFE-based chemistry; however, Sunbeam does not disclose whether this specific product line uses traditional PTFE, PTFE-free Xylan, or an alternative. Absence of disclosure creates cons
Anolon has not disclosed whether this bakeware contains legacy PFOS/PFOA or emerging PFAS replacements (GenX, PFBS). Many mainstream nonstick cookware brands still use PFAS chemistry, and the absence of a public statement suggests uncertainty rather than safet
Manufacturer silence on non-stick coating type means PFAS presence cannot be ruled out. Many air fryer non-stick coatings historically contained PTFE or PFOA-related compounds; newer models may use PFAS-free alternatives, but this model provides no clarity.
What to buy instead
Highest scoring products with no flag for it, in the categories where it is worst.
Common questions
What is pfas?
A family of thousands of fluorinated chemicals used to make things resist water, grease and stains. They do not break down in the body or the environment, which is why they are called forever chemicals. The CDC has found them in the blood of almost every American it has tested.
Which products contain pfas?
Of the 3,681 products we have graded, 1,202 are flagged for it and 458 on reported or likely evidence rather than plausibility. Incontinence Pads is the worst category at 100% of what we scored there.
Is pfas in incontinence pads?
More than in anything else we grade. 15 of the 15 incontinence pads we scored carry a flag for it, which is 100%. The full breakdown per product is on each product page.
What can I buy instead?
In the categories where it turns up most, the highest scoring products with no flag for it are Pirate's Booty Pirate's Booty Cheddar Blast Puffs at 70, Pirate's Booty Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Pokemon Puffs at 70, Cascadian Farm Cascadian Farm Organic Oven Fries Wedge Cut at 70. Every one of those was graded on the same rubric as the products above.
How do you know?
We do not lab test. Every grade here is built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third party lab results where those already exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so, and where a brand publishes nothing we score the silence rather than guessing.
33% of everything we grade carries a flag for pfas. See every hazard we track or browse the full products list.