Inhance Technologies sued over PFAS in plastic food containers

(Reuters) – A Houston-based company that beefs up plastic packaging for food and household items risks being exposed to toxic “forever chemicals,” according to a new lawsuit filed by environmental and public health groups. It has been.

The Public Officials for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Center for Environmental Health sued Inhance Technologies USA in federal court for the District of Columbia on Tuesday, alleging violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The complaint comes after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a similar lawsuit last week.

Inhance’s production of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) occurs during a process called fluorination. In this process, plastic packaging used for a variety of purposes, from food containers to cleaning products, is treated with fluorine gas to strengthen the packaging. The group says tens of millions of plastic containers are fluoridated before they reach distribution in the United States, and Inhance is the only U.S. provider of fluoridation after plastic containers are molded.

“This is not an academic transgression. The leaching of PFAS from packaging and containers threatens our food supply and exposes us all to harmful toxic chemicals,” said PEER’s Executive Director and Executive Director. Yes, former EPA Enforcement Attorney Tim Whitehouse said in a statement.

Inhans did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. These substances are called “eternal chemicals” because they are difficult to break down in the human body and the environment.

2020 regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act require companies to submit notices to governments of significant new uses of PFAS, which will initiate safety reviews. Despite that requirement, the group says Inhance continues to process plastic containers, producing his PFAS linked to several health concerns, including cancer.

The EPA recently took steps to regulate PFAS as part of its strategic roadmap announced in October 2021. Chemicals as hazardous under the national Superfund program to expedite cleanup at contaminated sites across the country.

The case is Center for Environmental Health v. Inhance Technologies USA, United States District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:22-cv-03819.

Plaintiff: Robert Sussman of Sussman & Associates.Paula Dinerstein, Civil Servant for Environmental Responsibility

For Inhance: Not immediately available

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