Restaurants Brands International (RBI) has committed to eliminating toxic PFAS forever chemicals use in food packaging worldwide through 2025.
RBI, one of the world’s leading biggest quick service restaurant firms which owns Popeyes, Burger King, and Tim Hortons has 27000 restaurants in across 100 nations.
RBI’s declaration follows a multi-year campaign to ban PFAS from the entire retail food packaging driven by Toxic-Free Future.
Reportedly, RBI’s decision to ban PFAS came one year after the restaurant’s competitors, Wendy’s and McDonald’s, made similar commitments following Toxic-Free Future’s 2018 & 2020 reports testing food packaging materials like Burger King wrappers.
Additionally, the announcement came the same day as a consumer reports study that examined the packaging of plethora of important fast-food chain like Burger King.
Commenting on the announcement RBI stated that in the next path of its journey towards product stewardship, the brands Tim Hortons, Burger King, and Popeyes have proposed that any added2 polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances be eliminated from all guest phasing, approved packaging substances through the end of 2025 or earlier.
Mike Schade, Director of Mind the Store- a program of Toxic-Free-Future- stated that the latest commitment by Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes is the recent nail in the coffin for PFAS in packaging of food.
Mike commented that Burger King’s decision to ban PFAS is highly appreciated but it should be implemented by 2023 as the forever chemicals have been impacting the frontline workers and customers since long.
Meanwhile, Liz Hitchcock, Director, Safer Chemicals Healthy Family, Toxic-Free-Future mentioned that 21 food companies and seven states have also banned PFAS in food packaging and congress should also take measures to protect everyone by issuing bipartisan legislation to ban PFAS across the nation.
Source Credit: - https://saferchemicals.org/2022/03/24/burger-king-announces-global-ban-of-toxic-forever-chemicals-in-food-packaging/