Slow Cooker Liners
Skip until Kroger discloses coating; slow cooker liners often have PFAS treatments.
These polyethylene film liners prevent food contact with the pot interior. Kroger doesn't disclose the coating or treatment applied for grease and heat resistance, a common PFAS entry point.
The safe swap
If You Care
Slow Cooking Liners
100/100 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
Polyethylene (PE) film liner with unspecified coating/treatment
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
No PFAS disclosure
The company has not publicly discussed PFAS in this product.
Non-stick, chemistry undisclosed
Advertised as non-stick but coating type is not explained.
Category baseline
PFAS exposure happens more often with clothing products.
PFAS
Kroger does not disclose the chemical identity of the coating used to make these liners heat and grease resistant. Heat-resistant food-contact film coatings commonly contain PFAS (e.g., Teflon-type coating, PFOA-related compounds) to withstand sustained temperatures and oil exposure. Without disclosure, this hazard cannot be ruled out or quantified.
Source: ATSDR ↗Microplastic shedding if liner is torn or degraded
PE film liners can fragment if punctured by food, cookware, or repeated folding. Fragments small enough to ingest are classified as microplastics. The unspecified coating may increase fragility or alter degradation pathways; no data on Kroger's product durability under slow-cooker conditions is publicly available.
PE thermal degradation and odor release above rated temperature
PE begins to soften and can emit faint plastic odor around 250-300F if stressed or in contact with oil. Kroger's packaging does not clearly specify a maximum temperature; users may exceed safe limits on the high setting, risking off-gassing and potential ingestion of volatile compounds.
Migration of unknown additives or breakdown products into food
The unstated coating composition raises the risk that additives (antioxidants, stabilizers, UV absorbers, or slip agents) or their thermal breakdown products may migrate into fatty or acidic slow-cooked foods. PE itself is stable, but the coating is the unknown vector.
What’s reassuring
No independent testing or certification on record
Kroger slow cooker liners carry no visible third-party certifications (FDA Section 177 compliance statement, NSF, OEKO-TEX, or similar). This is standard for the category, but it means no independent lab has published data on leaching, coating identity, or durability for this specific product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Kroger slow cooker liners are polyethylene (PE) film, a low-density plastic designed to line the ceramic pot and catch drippings. PE itself is chemically stable and does not leach BPA or phthalates under normal conditions. However, the product lists an unspecified 'coating or treatment' that improves heat and grease resistance. This coating composition is not disclosed on packaging or the brand website, making it impossible to rule out PFAS or other proprietary additives.
The brand's record and disclosure
Kroger has not published a public statement on PFAS use in kitchen products or materials. The company offers no third-party certifications (e.g., OEKO-TEX, FDA 177 full compliance data) for these liners. Kroger is not known for transparency initiatives on microplastics or chemical treatments in single-use food contact items. This silence is significant because slow cooker liners specifically require treatments to withstand prolonged heat and oil contact, a known driver of PFAS adoption in food-contact films.
How it compares in its category
Slow cooker liners are convenience products with no direct non-plastic alternative; traditional methods use the bare ceramic pot. Compared to other PE-based food storage films, slow cooker liners face higher thermal stress (200-300F sustained, vs. ambient-temp storage), which increases the risk that untested coatings may leach or degrade. Higher-end brands (e.g., Reynolds, Some generic store brands) similarly do not disclose coating chemistry, making this category a known gap in consumer transparency industry-wide.
If you buy it
Use liners only on the low or medium setting (below 250F) and never leave them in direct contact with the heating element or lid condensation drips back into food. Replace the liner after every use; do not reuse. Store unused liners in a cool, dark place away from fats or oils that can degrade PE over time. If you observe discoloration, stickiness, or odor from the liner, discard the batch and request Kroger's ingredient disclosure before repurchasing.
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
- Kroger has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Safer alternatives in Slow Cooker Liners
If You Care
Slow Cooking Liners
Unbleached parchment paper
Thermal degradation and smoke at high heat
Limited concern
Mold or bacterial growth if stored wet or damp
Limited concern
Adhesion failure and paper fragments in food
Limited concern
Lower-concern option; parchment with verified PFAS-free certification.
⚠Risky category by default
Reynolds
(2 pack) Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liners, Small (1-3 quart), 5 Count
polyethylene/plastic liner
Lower PFAS concern; basic plastic unlikely to contain PFAS.
⚠Risky category by default
Glad
Slow Cooker Liners - 4 Pack
Plastic (polyethylene or similar polymer liner)
Lower concern; uncoated plastic, but Glad doesn't confirm PFAS status.
⚠Risky category by default
More slow cooker liners 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.