Pizza Hut X Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles The Big New Yorker Pizza Box 16”
Skip or contact Pizza Hut directly; typical grease-resistant pizza boxes often contain PFAS.
Pizza Hut doesn't publicly disclose PFAS content or treatment method for this pizza box. Standard pizza-box coatings historically use aqueous or fluorinated repellents; industry practice suggests potential PFAS presence for grease resistance, but no lab data or brand claim confirms or denies it.
The better-graded swap
Who Gives A Crap
Krusty Krab Full Size Pizza Box Costume Prop
70/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Good.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Coated paperboard (grease-resistant coating composition unspecified)
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
Pizza box grease barriers are predominantly fluorinated compounds; Pizza Hut's silence on composition and industry prevalence of PFAS in this application make fluorinated coating highly probable, though not confirmed for this specific box.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating migration into food (short-term contact)
Greasy foods (pizza, cheese) can act as solvents for coating components; direct prolonged contact between hot, oily food and unlined box interior may increase migration risk, though typical use duration (minutes to hours) is generally low-risk.
Thermal breakdown of coating if reused for heating
Repeated heating or microwave use of coated paperboard boxes has been documented to degrade polymeric coatings and increase leachate release; this box is designed for room-temperature storage only.
Recycling contamination (fluorinated residue)
If the coating contains PFAS or other fluorinated compounds, recycling this box may introduce these substances into paper recycling streams, affecting secondary product safety; some recyclers now flag coated pizza boxes as problematic.
What’s reassuring
Heavy metals
Paperboard pizza boxes are not typically treated with heavy metal pigments or formaldehyde-based adhesives; the mineral ink printing on this TMNT-branded box is standard food-safe offset ink and poses no documented hazard.
Source, FDA ↗The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
This is a coated paperboard pizza box, standard food-contact material designed to resist grease and moisture during storage and transport. The grease-resistant coating composition is not disclosed by Pizza Hut, which is the core concern, such coatings in pizza boxes commonly contain PFAS "forever chemicals" (PFAS) to achieve water and oil repellency. The paperboard substrate itself (recycled or virgin kraft) is not a material linked to PFAS, but the coating's chemical identity is the unknowable variable.
The brand's record and disclosure
Pizza Hut has not publicly disclosed the composition of its pizza box coatings or made commitments to eliminate PFAS-based grease barriers. The brand's silence on this issue is typical of quick-service restaurant chains, which have historically resisted transparency around food-contact coating chemistries. No major recalls or health warnings have been issued specifically for Pizza Hut pizza boxes, but absence of public reporting does not indicate absence of PFAS or other fluorinated compounds.
How it compares in its category
Pizza Hut's box is largely indistinguishable from standard industry pizza packaging; nearly all major chains (Domino's, Papa John's) use similarly coated paperboard with undisclosed grease barriers. A small number of independent and premium pizzerias have switched to non-fluorinated coatings (silicone-based or mineral oil barriers), but these remain niche. The 16-inch size and TMNT branding add no material safety difference; the coating risk profile is category-standard.
If you buy it
Use the box as intended, short-term food contact only during transport and initial storage at room temperature. Do not repurpose the box for prolonged food storage, baking, or microwave use, as heat or moisture cycling could stress the coating integrity. If concerned about PFAS exposure, contact Pizza Hut customer service directly and request disclosure of the grease-resistant coating type; this may prompt a transparency response. Consider this a single-use item and dispose of through normal recycling (check local guidelines, as some facilities restrict coated cardboard).
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
- Pizza Hut has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Pizza Boxes
8" Kraft Paper Open Pizza Box
Kraft paper (uncoated)
Chlorine residues from kraft pulp bleaching
Limited concern
Heavy metals
Limited concern
Grease saturation and structural failure
High concern
Microcontaminants from recycled fiber content
Limited concern
Lower risk; uncoated kraft pizza box poses minimal PFAS concern.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
Who Gives A Crap
Krusty Krab Full Size Pizza Box Costume Prop
Cardboard/paper costume prop (non-functional)
Ink residues and printing compounds
Limited concern
Dust and particulate inhalation
Moderate concern
Mold and microbial growth (post-storage)
Limited concern
Adhesive residues (if glued seams present)
Limited concern
Lower risk; this is a decorative costume prop, not food contact or water-protective apparel.
⚠Starting grade for this product type
More pizza boxes 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.