· Grease-Resistant Deli & Butcher Paper
Kraft Unbleached Butcher Paper Roll
Unbleached butcher paper likely has PFAS treatment, status unclear.
Kraft butcher paper uses water-repellent, grease-resistant coatings on food surfaces. Georgia-Pacific doesn't reveal its PFAS chemistry, and most butcher papers contain PFAS-based treatments.
The better-graded swap
If You Care
If You Care Parchment Baking Paper
90/100 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
kraft paper with grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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
Unbleached kraft butcher paper typically requires fluorinated or fluorine-alternative grease barriers; Georgia-Pacific does not disclose coating type. PFAS in food packaging is documented in peer-reviewed literature as a bioaccumulative concern, especially for fatty foods.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating leaching under heat or moisture
Grease-resistant coatings (whether PFAS or replacement polymers) may hydrolyze or migrate when exposed to hot food, prolonged contact with oils, or humidity. Unbleached kraft does not eliminate this risk; it only removes bleach-related contaminants.
Non-targeted chemicals in pulp mill process
Kraft pulping uses sodium hydroxide and sulfides; residual sodium sulfide or other mill byproducts are sometimes detected in kraft paper at trace levels. Unbleached status does not eliminate process chemical residues, only chlorine compounds.
What’s reassuring
Microplastic or fiber shedding during use
No published recalls or studies document significant microplastic or fiber shedding from Georgia-Pacific butcher paper during normal food contact. Degradation of the paper itself into food is not a documented hazard for short-term wrapping use.
Ink or printing contamination (if printed roll)
If the roll includes printed branding or measurement markings, the ink composition is not publicly disclosed. Standard food-contact paper printing inks are regulated but may contain heavy metals or solvents; Georgia-Pacific provides no specific ink safety data sheet.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Georgia-Pacific's unbleached butcher paper is kraft pulp (mechanical/chemical breakdown of wood fiber) with a grease-resistant coating applied to the surface. The coating is the critical unknown, unbleached kraft papers marketed for food contact typically receive fluorinated or non-fluorinated grease barriers to resist oils and moisture. Because Georgia-Pacific does not publicly disclose the coating chemistry, the presence of PFAS (PFAS "forever chemicals") cannot be ruled out and is standard industry practice for water and grease resistance. Unbleached kraft itself avoids chlorine bleaching, reducing dioxin and chlorine residues, but the coating is where chemical risk concentrates.
The brand's record and disclosure
Georgia-Pacific, owned by Koch Industries, has not published a public PFAS policy or ingredient disclosure for food-contact papers as of available records. The company has faced scrutiny for legacy chlor-alkali operations and pulp mill chemical practices but has not voluntarily committed to phasing PFAS in food packaging. No recalls or safety violations specific to this butcher paper product are on record, and the paper does comply with FDA food-contact regulations (which do not yet ban PFAS in paper). The lack of transparency rather than documented harm is the concern.
How it compares in its category
Unbleached kraft butcher paper sits in the middle-ground of food packaging risk. It avoids the chlorine and optical brighteners of bleached white butcher paper, which carry dioxin and xenoestrogen residue concerns. However, most unbleached kraft papers (including this one) still use PFAS or silicone coatings for grease resistance; competitors like If You Care and some store brands explicitly disclose or claim PFAS-free coatings, though verification is limited. Parchment and silicone-coated papers may trade PFAS for other synthetic coatings of unclear toxicity.
If you buy it
Use for short-contact wrapping (butcher counter, sandwiches, baked goods) rather than prolonged storage or direct contact with fatty foods at warm temperatures. Do not use in direct oven contact or wrap heated meat; grease-resistant coatings may leach at elevated temperatures (above 180F / 82C). Replace rolls annually or if coating shows visible wear, discoloration, or wrinkling. Store in a cool, dry place away from moisture to extend coating integrity and reduce hydrolysis-driven leaching.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Grease-Resistant Deli & Butcher Paper
IDL Packaging
White Butcher Paper 18" x Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish
bleached paper, uncoated
Mold or microbial growth during storage
Limited concern
Brand PFAS statement on record, which we have not verified.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
IDL Packaging
White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish
bleached kraft paper, no specified coating
Ink or printing residue (if printed side contacts food)
Limited concern
Mold or microbial growth during storage
Limited concern
Brand PFAS statement on record, which we have not verified.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
If You Care
Parchment Baking Sheets
unbleached parchment paper, silicone coating
Silicone coating degradation under heat stress
Limited concern
Mold or microbial growth if stored damp
Limited concern
Brand no-added-PFAS claim and a 2021 lab result with no fluorine detected.
✓Lab test found no PFAS
More grease-resistant deli & butcher paper 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.