The Case for PFAS Product Labeling
Consumers have no practical way to identify PFAS-containing products without labeling requirements, as these chemicals are invisible and odorless. Right-to-know legislation requiring PFAS disclosure empowers consumers to make informed purchasing decisions and creates market incentives for manufacturers to reformulate products without PFAS.
Environmental and public health advocates have long argued that PFAS labeling is an essential complement to use restrictions, given the thousands of products that currently contain these chemicals — from cookware and outdoor clothing to food packaging and personal care products.
State-Level Labeling Requirements in the U.S.
California’s PFAS disclosure requirements — part of its broader chemical safety framework — require manufacturers to disclose intentionally added PFAS in certain product categories including food packaging, apparel, and children’s products. Maine’s PFAS law goes further, requiring disclosure of all products containing intentionally added PFAS with a pathway to prohibition.
Colorado, Washington, and other states have enacted sector-specific labeling requirements, particularly for food packaging and cookware. The patchwork of state requirements creates compliance complexity for manufacturers operating nationally, building pressure for federal harmonization.
EU Product Labeling Under REACH
Under REACH, substances of very high concern (SVHCs) — a list that includes several PFAS — must be disclosed to consumers on request and in supply chain communications. The proposed universal PFAS restriction under REACH would dramatically expand labeling and disclosure requirements across the EU market.
Effective labeling requires standardized terminology that consumers can understand. Technical chemical names provide limited utility; product labels that clearly state ‘Contains PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances’ are more accessible and actionable than chemical identifiers like PFOA or PFOS alone.