Applegate · Deli Meat & Cold Cuts Packaging
Applegate Uncured Black Forest Ham
Skip or contact brand, deli packaging often contains fluorinated grease barriers.
Applegate's deli wrap likely contains a grease barrier coating to protect the meat, but the brand doesn't publicly share coating details or PFAS status. Meat packaging is a recognized source of PFAS-based grease repellents.
The better-graded swap
IDL Packaging
Idl Packaging White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish
95/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Excellent.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
plastic film/paperboard packaging with grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Applegate Uncured Black Forest Ham is made of, ingredients and materials
Applegate Uncured Black Forest Ham comes in plastic film and paperboard laminate packaging with a grease-resistant barrier coating. That coating is almost certainly fluorinated (PFAS-based) because non-fluorinated alternatives degrade quickly against cured meat oils and moisture. The meat itself contains no added nitrates/nitrites (the 'uncured' claim), but the packaging chemistry is the hazard vector here, not the product inside.
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
PFAS
Standard practice in deli packaging; migration risk into fatty meat surfaces is thermodynamically plausible but quantified exposure data for this specific product is not publicly available. Brand has not committed to PFAS-free alternatives.
Source, ATSDR ↗Packaging migration into fatty food matrix
Cured ham is high-fat; fluorinated polymers can migrate into lipid-rich foods over time, particularly if stored warm or long-term. No specific migration testing for Applegate packaging is on public record.
What’s reassuring
Microplastics
Deli meat packages are typically consumed within 2-3 weeks; microplastic shedding at consumer timescales is not a documented issue for this product category, though plastic film integrity degrades over time.
Source, EPA ↗Printing inks or adhesives in laminate seams
Applegate does not disclose ink composition or adhesive chemistry. Offset inks may contain heavy metals, but food-contact standards (FDA CFR 175-177) regulate this. No recalls or complaints specific to this product exist on public record.
Sodium and nitrate content (product, not packaging)
This is uncured ham (no added nitrates), so nitrite/nitrate risk is lower than cured alternatives. Sodium content is typical for deli meat and is a dietary rather than acute toxicity concern.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Applegate Farms (owned by Hormel) markets itself as a natural and organic meat brand with clean labels. However, the company has not published a public stance on PFAS-free packaging or fluorochemical phase-outs, despite growing market pressure. They do not disclose grease-barrier coatings on product labels. No major recalls or safety violations related to packaging leachates are on record, but silence on PFAS is a disclosure gap in an industry where the hazard is now widely recognized.
How it compares in its category
Most conventional deli meat packaging uses PFAS grease barriers; Applegate is typical, not an outlier. Packaged deli meats with lower concern for PFAS remain rare in mainstream retail. Some smaller producers (e.g., Vital Farms, certain local producers) have moved to non-fluorinated or paper-only packaging, though at higher cost and shorter shelf life. Bulk/counter-sliced alternatives from a deli avoid packaging altogether but carry microbiological handling risks.
If you buy it
Store unopened packages away from heat and direct sunlight to minimize any potential leaching of coating compounds into the meat. Once opened, transfer meat to a glass container if storage exceeds 3 days; do not rewrap in the original film. Avoid microwaving in the original packaging. If PFAS exposure is a household priority, contact Applegate directly to ask whether their grease barrier is PFAS-free; their silence suggests it is not.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Applegate has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Applegate Uncured Black Forest Ham?
IDL Packaging
White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish
- natural kraft butcher paper, no coating specified
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Bleach residue and chlorine compounds
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- stainless steel blade, bare metal construction
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Blade degradation and metal particle shedding
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- kraft paper, unbleached cellulose
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Heavy metals
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
More deli meat & cold cuts packaging grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.