New Mexico Bans ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Food Packaging, Cookware; Sets PFAS Labeling Rules
Beginning January 1, 2027, food packaging and cookware containing intentionally added per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) will be banned from sale in New Mexico.
Additional items will be added to the list of goods that cannot contain intentionally added PFAS in January 2028, and by January 2032, all products sold in New Mexico will be prohibited from containing intentionally added PFAS, unless an exemption is made for a product because the use of PFAS is “currently unavoidable.”
After January 1, 2027, products containing intentionally added PFAS sold in New Mexico must bear a label informing the customer of the presence of PFAS. The label must clearly inform the consumer that the product contains intentionally added PFAS, depicting an outline of an Erlenmeyer flask with the word “PFAS” inside the flask.
These regulations were laid out in a final rule published in the New Mexico Register on May 5, enforcing provisions of the New Mexico PFAS Protection Act, which was signed into law in April 2025.
What are PFAS?
PFAS are a class of chemicals used for industrial purposes and in a wide range of consumer products, including, but not limited to, food packaging and nonstick cookware. Often referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their inability to break down in the human body or environment over time, PFAS are subject to increasing scrutiny due to the growing body of evidence demonstrating their pervasiveness, harms to human health, and accumulation in water, air, soil, animals, food, and people.
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