Why 'forever chemicals' are in your food, how to avoid
India's food safety authority (FSSAI) is looking to ban PFAS and BPA—two chemicals often found in food packaging that just don't break down, either in the environment or our bodies.
PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" for a reason, and BPA shows up in plastics and resins that touch a lot of what we eat.
Health risks of these chemicals
Research links both PFAS and BPA to serious health problems like hormone disruption, fertility issues, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.
The new rules would stop these chemicals from being used where they might leach into your food.
Need for support to switch to safer packaging
FSSAI put out these draft rules recently and wants public feedback until early December.
Subhaprada Nishtala, director of the Chamber of Advancement of Small and Medium Businesses, says small businesses will need support to switch to safer packaging.
If approved, this would be a big step toward making India's packaged foods safer for everyone.