· Grease-Resistant Butcher & Deli Paper
Butcher Paper Sheets
Butcher paper likely contains PFAS in grease treatment, skip if concerned.
Kraft paper with grease-resistant coating, a known PFAS application in this product type. Sappi won't publicly disclose PFAS content or claim PFAS-free status.
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
Kraft paper with grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What Butcher Paper Sheets is made of, ingredients and materials
Sappi butcher paper is kraft paper, a cellulose product made from wood pulp, coated with a grease-resistant finish to prevent oil and moisture penetration during storage and transport of meat and fatty foods. The coating is typically fluorochemical (PFAS-based) or, less commonly, silicone or wax-based. Kraft paper itself is food-safe; the risk lies entirely in the coating chemistry and whether it migrates into food under heat or prolonged contact with fatty products.
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
Butcher paper coatings conventionally use perfluorinated compounds for grease resistance. Migration risk is highest with fatty foods and elevated temperatures. Sappi has not disclosed coating type, so PFAS presence should be assumed unless certified otherwise.
Source, ATSDR ↗Microplastic or fiber shedding
Kraft paper fibers can shed slightly during handling, especially if the coating is damaged or during contact with wet or fatty foods. Shedding is not hazardous but may be undesirable for food presentation. Inspect sheets before use and discard visibly frayed samples.
Coating degradation and adhesion loss
Over time, particularly with exposure to moisture or oils, butcher paper coatings can peel or flake. Degraded coating is unlikely to be toxic but signals the paper is past usable life and should be replaced.
What’s reassuring
Bleach residues / chlorine compounds
Modern kraft paper production typically avoids heavy chlorine bleaching, but some whitened grades may retain trace peroxide or other bleach residues. Sappi's production standards are not public-facing for this product, so specific bleach protocols are unknown.
Ink or printing contamination
Sappi butcher paper sheets are typically unprinted on food-contact surfaces. If branding or lot numbers appear on the product, they should use food-safe inks; no recalls or issues are on record for this brand.
How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Sappi is a global pulp and paper manufacturer with ISO 9001 certification and food-contact compliance claims, but the company has not made public commitments to PFAS-free or PFAS-reduced coatings on food-contact papers. Product-specific documentation on coating composition is not readily available to consumers. Sappi's silence on PFAS in butcher paper reflects the broader industry practice of treating grease-resistant formulations as proprietary, leaving end-users unable to verify coating chemistry before purchase.
How it compares in its category
Most commercial butcher paper from major brands (Sappi, Georgia-Pacific, Unbleached) relies on fluorochemical coatings for grease resistance, making this product representative of the category standard rather than an outlier. Some specialty suppliers now offer wax-coated or silicone-coated alternatives marketed as PFAS-free, though these are less common in retail food-service channels. Uncoated kraft paper offers no grease barrier and is unsuitable for this use. The trade-off between grease protection and chemical safety remains unresolved at the market level.
If you buy it
Use Sappi butcher paper only for its intended purpose, wrapping raw or cooked meat at food-service temperatures (below 140°F for extended contact). Do not use in high-heat cooking or near direct flame, as heat may accelerate coating degradation and migration. Store in a cool, dry place to prevent moisture-driven breakdown. If PFAS exposure is a household priority, request product-specific coating data from Sappi or consider switching to verified PFAS-free alternatives, even if less convenient.
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
- has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to Butcher Paper Sheets?
IDL Packaging
White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish
- unbleached natural kraft paper
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Mold or microbial growth
- unbleached parchment paper, silicone coating
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Silicone coating degradation under heat stress
2 hazards checked on this product, all on its full breakdown.
- Silicone-coated parchment paper
- The brand calls it PFAS-free, which we have not verified
- Silicone coating degradation at high heat
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.