Is Parchment Paper Toxic?
Lab screening found fluorine, a PFAS indicator, in two of the parchment papers Mamavation tested. It reported that most of the parchment papers it sent to an EPA-certified lab had no detectable fluorine at a 9 to 10 ppm detection level, while two did. Total fluorine is a screen for PFAS rather than a measurement of specific PFAS.
How the nonstick surface is made varies by maker. HIC Harold Import Company, for example, describes its Beyond Gourmet parchment sheets as paper from chlorine-free wood pulp with a naturally nonstick silicone coating, which is the company’s own description.
On PFAS more broadly, the FDA announced in February 2024 that grease-proofing substances containing PFAS are no longer being sold by manufacturers for food contact use in the US. It says those substances were applied to food packaging such as fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags and take-out paperboard containers, and that it is working toward a validated test method to monitor the market for them.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Independent testMamavation said it sent parchment paper brands to an EPA-certified laboratory for total fluorine testing. Mamavation ↗
- Independent testMamavation reported that most of the parchment papers it tested had no detectable fluorine at a 9 to 10 ppm detection level, while two did. Total fluorine is a screen for PFAS, not a measurement of specific PFAS. Mamavation ↗
- Brand statementHIC Harold Import Company describes its Beyond Gourmet parchment sheets as paper from natural chlorine-free wood pulp with a naturally nonstick silicone coating. HIC Harold Import Company ↗
- Regulatory filingThe FDA announced on February 28, 2024 that grease-proofing substances containing PFAS are no longer being sold by manufacturers for food contact use in the US. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says the PFAS grease-proofing substances were applied to fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, pet food bags and similar packaging. US FDA ↗
- Government sourceThe FDA says it is working toward a validated analytical method to monitor the market for these substances in food packaging. US FDA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.