Hill's Science Diet · Pet Food Bags
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small Paws Chicken Meal & Rice Dry Dog Food
Lower concern for typical dry pet food bag, but Hill's makes no public PFAS disclosure.
Hill's Science Diet dry dog food uses standard kraft paper sacks without known grease-resistant or water-repellent coatings that typically require PFAS. However, the brand does not publicly disclose packaging material composition or PFAS testing.
Shop Hill's Science Diet on Amazon →Material
paper/kraft bag with standard interior liner
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Hill's Science Diet Adult Small Paws ships in a kraft paper exterior bag with a heat-sealed plastic interior liner (typically polyethylene or metallized film). The bag protects kibble from moisture and oxygen ingress during storage and transport. The interior liner is not food-contact for the pet, since kibble does not dissolve or leach compounds into the bag material under normal dry storage conditions. No coating degradation or active leaching risk exists for dry kibble at room temperature.
The brand's record and disclosure
Hill's Science Diet is owned by Colgate-Palmolive and holds AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) certification for complete and balanced nutrition. Hill's has not issued public statements on PFAS presence or absence in packaging materials, placing it in the silent-disclosure tier common to the pet food industry. No recalls specific to bag material contamination have been documented for this product line. The brand maintains veterinary nutrition research credentials but does not voluntarily publish packaging chemical composition data.
How it compares in its category
Dry pet food bags are a lower-risk category than foods requiring moisture barriers or high-temperature processing. This product's kraft-plus-plastic construction is standard across premium and budget brands alike; no measurable safety difference exists between Hill's and competitors like Royal Canin or Purina Pro Plan in terms of material hazard profile. Competitor transparency on PFAS is similarly sparse. Dry kibble's stable chemistry means leaching risk is categorically lower than for wet foods or foods in plastic-only containers.
If you buy it
Store the opened bag in a cool, dry place away from direct heat or sunlight; the interior liner is polyethylene and will not withstand temperatures above 70 degrees Celsius. Transfer kibble to an airtight glass or rigid plastic container if you keep the bag open for more than 2 weeks to prevent moisture absorption and rancidity. Inspect the bag for punctures or splits before purchase and discard if the interior liner is visibly compromised. No special cleaning or conditioning of the kibble is necessary; feed directly as packaged.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
PFAS in bag liner and adhesives
Interior plastic liner may contain legacy PFAS-based water- and grease-repellents (common in food bag manufacturing before recent phase-out). Hill's does not disclose testing or PFAS-free certification. Risk to pets is low because kibble remains dry and does not leach compounds, but environmental release during bag disposal is a concern.
Polyethylene liner off-gassing
No documented cases of volatile organic compound (VOC) release from standard PE-film liners in dry food bags under room-temperature storage. Heat exposure or UV degradation could accelerate off-gassing, but the kibble itself does not absorb airborne contaminants in meaningful amounts.
Moisture barrier coatings leaching
Some premium pet food bags use wax or clay-based moisture coatings on kraft; Hill's standard construction does not incorporate these. No leaching risk is documented for uncoated kraft paper in contact with dry kibble.
Ink or print migration
Exterior bag printing is non-contact (does not touch kibble). Interior liner is blank. No migration pathway exists under normal use. Print standards in pet food packaging are regulated by the FDA but not independently verified for this specific product.
Bag seal failure and insect/mold contamination
Kraft bags are vulnerable to puncture and seal degradation over time. A compromised interior liner allows moisture and pest entry, leading to kibble spoilage and potential mold growth. This is a use and storage issue, not a material safety defect, but worth monitoring.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
More pet food bags grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.