Is Bagasse Tableware PFAS-Free? Buyer's Guide

Short answer: Bagasse itself is PFAS-free. Sugarcane fibre contains no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. PFAS enters molded-fibre tableware only when a manufacturer adds a fluorochemical grease-proofing coating. So “is this bagasse PFAS-free?” is really the question “did the manufacturer add a PFAS coating, and can they prove they did not?” For bulk buyers importing into the US or EU, the proof is a third-party total organic fluorine test, not a self-declaration. Ecofy’s bagasse gets its oil and grease resistance from dense molded fibre, not from fluorochemicals, and is verified PFAS-free by SGS and Intertek. Whether you are sourcing compostable plates, bowls, clamshells, or any PFAS-free food packaging for a regulated market, the verification steps below apply the same way.

What PFAS are and why buyers must check

PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of thousands of synthetic “forever chemicals” used, among other things, as grease and oil-proofing agents in fibre-based food packaging. They do not break down in the environment and are linked to health concerns, which is why food-packaging PFAS is now banned or restricted across most of Ecofy’s export markets.

For a distributor or importer, PFAS is a procurement gate, not a nice-to-have. A single non-compliant shipment can be refused entry, pulled from shelves, or trigger penalties under state law. Buyers who resell into California, Maine, New York, or the EU carry that liability, so vetting the supplier upstream is the cheaper path.

Is bagasse naturally PFAS-free?

Yes. Bagasse is the fibrous residue left after sugarcane stalks are crushed for juice. As an agro-fibre it contains no fluorochemicals. The material becomes a PFAS risk only through processing:

• PFAS-coated bagasse: some manufacturers spray or blend fluorochemical grease-proofing agents to boost oil resistance cheaply. This adds PFAS.
• PFAS-free bagasse: quality manufacturers achieve oil and grease resistance through dense fibre forming and non-fluorinated treatments. No PFAS is added.

Both look identical on arrival. The only way to tell them apart is a laboratory test.

The regulations driving this

Market	Rule	What it does
California	AB 1200 (effective 1 Jan 2023)	Bans intentionally added PFAS in plant-fibre food packaging; uses total organic fluorine as the screening measure
Maine	LD 1503 (2021)	Prohibits food packaging with intentionally added PFAS; reporting obligations
New York	S8817 (effective Dec 2022)	Bans PFAS in food packaging sold in the state
Washington, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maryland	Various dates	Progressive state-level PFAS food-packaging bans
European Union	REACH restrictions (with a broad EU-wide PFAS restriction under review)	Restricts PFAS substances; several member states (e.g. Denmark, 2020) already ban PFAS in paper and board food contact
United States (federal)	FDA	As of early 2024, grease-proofing PFAS are no longer sold for US food-contact use following a voluntary market phase-out

The direction of travel is one-way: more markets, tighter limits, every year. Sourcing PFAS-free now is future-proofing, not just present compliance.

How to verify a supplier is truly PFAS-free

A “PFAS-free” line on a website or a supplier’s own letter is not evidence. Ask for these, in order:

1. A third-party total organic fluorine (TOF) or total fluorine test. This is the accepted screening method. Several US state laws treat total organic fluorine at or above 100 ppm as evidence of intentionally added PFAS. A credible report shows a result below that threshold from an accredited lab (SGS, Intertek, Eurofins).
2. The tested SKU and material scope. Confirm the report covers the molded-fibre products you are buying, not an unrelated sample.
3. Coating disclosure. Ask directly: what provides the oil and grease resistance? “Dense fibre and non-fluorinated treatment” is the answer you want. Evasiveness is a flag.
4. Migration and food-contact reports. A supplier serious about compliance will also hold FDA 21 CFR and EU 10/2011 or REACH migration testing.
5. PFOA-free is not PFAS-free. See pitfalls below.

How PFAS is actually tested, and what the number means

This is the section most buyers need and almost nobody publishes. A fluorine result is not a PFAS result, and two instruments that both report “100 ppm” are not measuring the same thing.

Total fluorine and total organic fluorine are different measurements

Total fluorine (TF) counts every fluorine atom in the sample, whatever compound it came from, including inorganic sources such as mineral fillers.

Total organic fluorine (TOF) counts only fluorine bound in organic compounds, which is the fraction PFAS belongs to.

Neither one identifies a compound. Both answer “how much fluorine is here”, not “which fluorochemical is here”. A low result is good evidence that fluorochemicals were not added. A positive result tells you fluorine is present without telling you what it is, and that is the limit of the method.

The two thresholds buyers cite are not interchangeable, even though both are 100 ppm:

Instrument	Threshold	Measures	What it governs
BPI Certification Scheme v2.7, §6.C.f.iv	100 ppm	Total fluorine	Eligibility for BPI certification in North America
California AB 1200, Health & Safety Code §109000(a)(3)(B)	100 ppm or above	Total organic fluorine	Defines regulated PFAS in food packaging, independently of intent

Same number, different measurand. A BPI total-fluorine report is not automatically evidence of AB 1200 compliance, and a supplier presenting one as the other has either not read both or is hoping you have not.

Two things buyers get wrong about the California threshold. Section 109000(a)(3) defines regulated PFAS as either substances a manufacturer intentionally added, or presence at or above 100 ppm measured as total organic fluorine. The second prong stands on its own: a result at or above the threshold is regulated PFAS whether or not anything was added deliberately, so a declaration of no intentional addition does not answer it. The sale and distribution ban commenced 1 January 2023 under section 109000(b).

And BPI’s own documents disagree with each other. The certification scheme at section 6.C.f.iv sets the limit as total fluorine. BPI’s public page on fluorinated chemicals describes the same limit as total organic fluorine. The scheme is the controlling document, but anyone checking the website will read something different, so cite the scheme section when the distinction matters.

The permitted test methods

BPI names five in its Commercial Compostability Certification Scheme v2.7, section 6.C.f.iv, and specifies how the sample must be prepared:

Method	Body
EN 14582	CEN
ISO 10304	ISO
DIN 51723	DIN
EN 15408	CEN
ASTM D1179-04	ASTM

The scheme requires samples to be prepared by digestion, not extraction. That distinction matters commercially: extraction recovers only what comes off the surface, so an extraction-prepared result can under-report fluorine that is bound into the material. If a report does not state the preparation, ask.

The inorganic exception, and why it exists

A result above 100 ppm is not automatically a fail. BPI’s scheme allows it for naturally occurring fluorine, where the producer can isolate the ingredients and demonstrate the fluorine came from an inorganic source rather than an organic fluorinated substance, naming mineral fillers such as talc as an example.

This is the clearest illustration of why the measurement is a screen and not a verdict. The number flags a question; the formulation answers it.

What the certificate does and does not carry

A compostability certificate is not a PFAS document, and the limit may sit in the scheme rather than the standard. BPI has required, since 1 January 2020, that organic fluorinated substances are not present in formulations for certified items, alongside a supplier statement that none were intentionally added and review of Safety Data Sheets for every ingredient. Certification runs on a three-year cycle, and test reports submitted must be no older than 12 months.

So “certified compostable” tells you nothing about fluorine on its own. Which certificate, issued under which scheme, in which year is the question that does.

What to hold on file

1. A TOF or total fluorine report from an accredited lab (for BPI evidence specifically, it must be a BPI-Approved laboratory), with the measurand and the sample preparation both stated on the report.
2. The SKU and material scope the report covers, checked against what you are buying.
3. A coating disclosure naming what provides oil and grease resistance.
4. The threshold you are being measured against, and confirmation it is the one your destination market uses.

Common pitfalls

• “PFOA-free” or “PFOS-free” marketed as PFAS-free. PFOA and PFOS are just two of thousands of PFAS compounds. A product can be PFOA-free and still contain other PFAS. Demand the full class, screened by total organic fluorine, not one or two named chemicals.
• Self-declarations with no lab data. A declaration is a promise; a TOF report is proof. For regulated markets you need the proof on file.
• Coated imports. Lower-cost coated bagasse is common. If a quote looks unusually cheap and the supplier is vague about coatings, test before you commit a container.
• Assuming compostable means PFAS-free. A product can pass composting standards such as ASTM D6400 or ASTM D6868 and still carry a PFAS coating. They are separate tests. Only EN 13432 sets a fluorine limit in the standard itself, though certification schemes can go further: see why a compostability certificate says nothing about PFAS.

Ecofy’s PFAS-free position

Ecofy’s molded-fibre bagasse tableware is PFAS-free and third-party verified:

• Oil and grease resistance comes from the fibre, not fluorochemicals. Our compostable bagasse clamshells, molded fibre bowls, plates, and trays hold hot and oily food through dense fibre forming, with no PFAS coating added at any stage.
• Independently tested. PFAS-free is verified by SGS and Intertek, alongside a CIPET plastic-free assessment. Reports are available to buyers on request.
• Compliant with the regulated markets we ship to, including California AB 1200, Maine LD 1503, and EU REACH.
• Full documentation ships with every order. Migration testing (FDA 21 CFR 176.170, EU 10/2011, LFGB), compostability, and food-safety paperwork travel with the goods so shipments clear customs the first time. See our full certifications hub for the complete document set.

If you are sourcing compostable tableware for a market with PFAS rules, request our PFAS test reports and a sample before you place a bulk order. Request documentation and a quote and we return pricing within 48 hours.

The questions buyers ask most about PFAS in compostable tableware are answered below.