PFAS25/ 100Poor
Overall7/ 100Bad
PK Grills Butcher Paper

PK Grills · Grease-Resistant Butcher & Deli Paper

PK Grills Butcher Paper

Poor

Grease-resistant treatment present; manufacturer won't disclose PFAS information.

Verdict · SkipKraft butcher paper with grease coating poses PFAS uncertainty and possible migration risk; use for short-term wrapping only, avoid prolonged contact with fatty foods.

PK Grills butcher paper resists water and grease through a coating Kotkamills hasn't revealed. Contact the brand directly or switch to uncoated paper if you're concerned about PFAS.

The better-graded swap

Idl Packaging White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish

IDL Packaging

Idl Packaging White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish

95/100 safety

95Excellent

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.

75/ 100
♾️

No PFAS disclosure

No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.

85/ 100
♾️

Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment

Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.

65/ 100
♾️

PFAS

The grease-resistant coating on butcher paper commonly contains PFAS historically; Kotkamills/PK Grills do not disclose the coating chemistry, leaving PFAS presence unconfirmed but plausible based on category norms and lack of explicit PFAS-free certification.

Source, ATSDR
70/ 100
🍳

Migration of coating compounds into fatty foods

Any coating on the paper surface can migrate into high-fat foods (meat, oils) through prolonged contact, especially if the coating is weakly bonded or begins to degrade; risk increases with storage duration and food fat content.

70/ 100

Thermal degradation of coating during cooking

Fluorinated grease-resistant coatings on paper are not designed for direct heat exposure; if used to wrap food on a grill or in an oven, the coating may degrade or release volatiles, particularly above 350F (177C).

45/ 100

What’s reassuring

🫧

Microplastics

No specific recalls or reports of fragments from this product have been located; however, worn or degraded paper coatings can theoretically shed particles into food if the paper tears or deteriorates during use.

Source, EPA
95/ 100

Bleach residues or processing chemicals in kraft substrate

Kraft paper is typically chlorine-free or elemental chlorine-free (ECF) in modern production; no specific contamination has been reported for Kotkamills kraft, and food-contact kraft paper generally meets FDA standards for processing residues.

95/ 100

The full breakdown

What it's made of and why it matters

PK Grills Butcher Paper is kraft paper, a mechanically processed wood pulp substrate, with a grease-resistant coating applied to one or both sides. The coating is what enables the paper to repel fats and oils without immediate breakdown, making it suitable for wrapping meat and fatty foods. The composition of this grease-resistant treatment is not publicly disclosed by Kotkamills or PK Grills, which is the primary safety concern for this product category, as such coatings have historically relied on fluorinated compounds (PFAS) to achieve water and oil repellency.

The brand's record and disclosure

Kotkamills (the paper manufacturer) and PK Grills (the brand under which this product is sold) do not publicly declare whether their grease-resistant coating contains PFAS, and no independent certification (such as GOTS, FDA premarket notification, or third-party PFAS testing) has been located for this specific product. Neither brand has issued a public statement committing to PFAS-free formulations or providing safety data sheets to consumers. This silence is typical in the butcher paper category but represents a gap in transparency compared to brands that explicitly certify PFAS-free status.

How it compares in its category

Most commercial butcher paper products use either fluorinated grease-resistant coatings (PFAS-based) or silicone-based alternatives, with PFAS-treated paper being the historical standard due to cost and performance. Some newer competitors market PFAS-free versions using silicone or bio-based coatings, though they are typically more expensive and less widely available. PK Grills/Kotkamills does not claim PFAS-free status, placing it in the conventional tier where PFAS presence cannot be ruled out without direct testing or brand disclosure.

If you buy it

Use this paper for short-term wrapping (hours to a few days in the refrigerator) rather than extended storage or freezing, as prolonged contact between fatty foods and coated paper increases the window for potential migration. Do not use this paper to wrap food that will be heated, smoked, or grilled; the coating may degrade or volatilize under high temperatures. Replace the paper before visible wear or grease saturation occurs. Store the paper roll in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to prevent premature coating degradation.

What we don’t know

Basis
Model estimate, 62% confidence, not a lab result
Lab test
None on record for this exact product
Brand statement
PK Grills has made none

Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.

Better-graded alternatives in Grease-Resistant Butcher & Deli Paper

Idl Packaging White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish

IDL Packaging

White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish

unbleached natural kraft paper

PFAS Grade95Excellent
Overall Grade91Excellent
⚠️

Mold or microbial growth

Limited concern

70

Brand PFAS statement on record, which we have not verified.

Starting grade for this product type

Gordon Paper Butcher Paper

Gordon Paper

Butcher Paper

kraft paper, bleached sulfate pulp

PFAS Grade70Good
Overall Grade66Good
🫧

Fiber shedding and ingestion

Limited concern

70

Lower concern; uncoated butcher paper has minimal PFAS risk.

Starting grade for this product type

36" - Unbleached Butcher Paper Rolls - 1/Roll

36" - Unbleached Butcher Paper Rolls - 1/Roll

unbleached kraft paper, no disclosed coating

PFAS Grade70Good
Overall Grade62Good
⚠️

Mold or bacterial growth on stored rolls

Limited concern

70
🫧

Fiber shedding into fatty foods

Limited concern

70

Lower risk due to lack of grease-resistant treatment.

Starting grade for this product type

More grease-resistant butcher & deli 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.