As long as restaurants are willing to roll with the punches, it is possible to grow substantially in 2024 and beyond. Since the pandemic, it is not simply the hand-washing ritual that has become more commonplace. Customers are a lot more discerning now, and expect high-quality service along with pristine hygiene and cleanliness.
Where else would this matter more than businesses dealing in food and beverages? Restaurants may have experienced some challenges during the pandemic but things are gathering a whirlwind pace. Studies have found that this industry is exhibiting a CAGR of 11.27%.
By 2029, all full-service restaurants across the US would have a net worth of $554.12 billion. This is huge but besides hygiene, a rising concern restaurants must deal with is PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. In this article, we will discuss why this is important and ways to keep customer health and safety at the forefront.
Why Restaurateurs Must Care About PFAS
Let’s begin by discussing what PFAS exactly are. This group of complex chemicals is becoming a heated topic, almost at par with climate change. With over 12,000 chemicals in this group, all share a common carbon-fluorine bond that is extremely strong and resistant to degradation.
In other words, PFAS do not easily break down in the environment or the human body. Their further characteristics of being repellent to water and oil make them ‘suitable’ for non-stick cookware and firefighting foam products. Now, please bear in mind that we use the word ‘suitable’ loosely here.
The fact that PFAS do not degrade would not spark fears had these chemicals been safe. Unfortunately, they are toxic and carcinogenic. An extreme case in point would be that of firefighters and military personnel who are exposed to high volumes of these chemicals.
They are mainly used to manufacture Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), a type of firefighting foam that can kill liquid-fuel fires. As per TorHoerman Law, firefighters have reported suffering from cancers of the testicles, kidneys, and bladder due to PFAS exposure through AFFF. Thousands of them have filed lawsuits against PFAS manufacturers like 3M and DuPont.
Besides human health, the municipal water supply is getting severely contaminated. This is why even US municipalities have joined the litigation to get fair compensation for PFAS remediation. The latest AFFF lawsuit update as of 2024 is that personal injury cases are awaiting trials. The case count presently stands at a little over 9,000.
Water contamination cases were settled last year. One consolation is the fact that the US Air Force recently started replacing its AFFF stocks with a fluorine-free alternative called F3.
Even if the complications are not as extreme as cancer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists several health risks associated with PFAS exposure. These include poor immune response, hormonal imbalances, reduced fertility, and developmental delays.
Notwithstanding all this, what is even more alarming is the fact that PFAS are ubiquitous. They can be found in tap water, rainwater, and even food packages. A recent study discovered that PFAS levels were higher in the blood of those who frequently consumed takeout or restaurant food.
As this information disperses, customers will become wary of restaurants that do not showcase responsible corporate citizenship in this area. Those in the food and beverage space must go PFAS-free and safeguard customer health.
Best Practices to Prioritize Customer Health and Safety
Let’s dive straight into the different practices restaurants can adopt to ensure their business operations run largely PFAS-free.
Reconsider Traditional Food Packaging Materials
As mentioned earlier, PFAS repel water, oil, and grease. This makes them a seemingly attractive choice for food packages. It means all kinds of traditional packaging materials, including pizza boxes, burger wrappers, fries bags, and whatnot are thinly lined with these chemicals.
Since all PFAS contain fluorine in varying degrees, any food package that tests positive for fluorine likely has PFAS. Restaurateurs can talk to packaging suppliers about their concerns and look for PFAS-free alternatives. Examples would include bowls, tumblers, and plates with acrylic or clay-based coatings.
Besides being PFAS-free, these substitutes are generally microwave-safe and easily disposable. You may even be able to find custom packaging solutions for heavy or light-grease applications. Additionally, customers must be made aware of the threats associated with conventional food packages, even heating food in them.
Take Charge of the Water
PFAS have polluted close to half of the US tap water. Your restaurant may fall within this statistic. Another way to bolster customer safety and health from a PFAS-free viewpoint is to check with the local water supply. See if the water that your restaurant uses has been tested for PFAS.
The EPA has set certain limits for PFAS in drinking water. In case the water has never been tested, you can request such a test voluntarily. If PFAS are found, it is best to install removal treatments in the form of reverse osmosis water filters. Pitch filters may also be able to remove PFAS but the extent of that varies widely.
A study found that some brands eliminated 100% of the chemicals, whereas others could only remove 22%. Reverse osmosis systems show the greatest promise in this regard. Furthermore, if you do sell packaged drinking water, choose purified or filtered bottled water instead of spring water that contains PFAS.
Ensure Safety of Food Supplies
This one may come as a bit of a shock but even food items like meat, oil, and seafood may have PFAS in them. This mainly happens because these chemicals can easily accumulate in livestock blood and tissues. The fish may have belonged to water sources contaminated with PFAS.
This is why it is important to source your food supplies from licensed vendors complying with stringent safety controls. In the case of imported food items, only choose countries that are known to be the safest from this perspective. You can discern this by looking for public health advisories issued by different countries dealing with food export.
Invest in Non-Toxic Furnishings and Paints
Besides non-stick cookware and AFFF, PFAS are largely found in stain-resistant carpets, upholstery, wood lacquer, and wall paints. Since these materials are commonly used in restaurants, they become a toxic source of PFAS. The chemical compounds can become airborne and customers may inhale them.
Thankfully, PFAS-free alternatives for carpets, upholstery, etc., are available in the market. An example would be rugs made using polypropylene fibers. They are naturally stain-resistant and do not need any chemical treatments.
Even when chemicals are used, you can opt for safer replacements like silanes and silicones. As for paints and roofing materials, use those that involve paraffin wax, acrylic coatings, and silicon polishes. We understand that many restaurants maintain razor-thin profit margins at times.
Hence, you can pick and choose which areas you’re able to make completely PFAS-free for now. Gradually, more and more safer alternatives can be used.
Let’s conclude this article on a positive note. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that all PFAS-based coatings would no longer be available across the US. This is to ensure that the upcoming PFAS ban meets its deadline.
Even 3M has agreed to stop all PFAS production by the end of 2025. As manufacturers take the lead, restaurants must gladly follow. Switch to PFAS-free alternatives to corner the market in the forthcoming years.