In-N-Out Burger · Fast-Casual Food Packaging
Fast Food Wrapping Paper
High PFAS risk in grease-resistant coating, brand silent on contents.
Fast food wrapper coatings typically contain PFAS for water and grease repellency. In-N-Out discloses no information about PFAS in packaging materials. Exposure is brief but frequent for regular consumers.
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Material
bleached paper with grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
food packaging is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
In-N-Out burger wrapping is bleached kraft paper treated with a grease-resistant coating to prevent oil and moisture penetration. The coating is almost certainly a fluorinated compound (likely a per- or polyfluoroalkyl substance family member), which provides water and grease barrier properties but is the primary chemical hazard in the product. Bleached paper itself carries minimal risk; the coating is the concern.
The brand's record and disclosure
In-N-Out has not published ingredient disclosures, safety testing results, or PFAS reduction commitments for food packaging as of available public records. The brand does not certify packaging against standards like FDA Food Contact Substance approvals or third-party chemical safety audits. This silence is typical among fast-food chains but leaves consumers without verification that coating chemicals meet safety thresholds or are traceable.
How it compares in its category
Most fast-food wrappers (McDonald's, Chipotle, etc.) use similar fluorinated coatings because alternative grease barriers are less effective or more expensive. Some chains have begun transitioning to PFAS-free coatings or uncoated materials, but In-N-Out has not announced such changes. Compared to home-use parchment paper (which also may contain PFAS but in lower concentrations due to less demanding grease performance), food-service wrappers prioritize function over chemical minimization.
If you buy it
Occasional brief contact with burger wrappers poses low acute risk; the concern is cumulative dietary PFAS exposure over time. Do not heat or microwave food in the wrapper after opening, as this may increase migration. Avoid prolonged skin contact or letting children chew on wrapper material. If reducing PFAS exposure is a priority, unwrap food promptly and discard paper.
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.”
Fluorinated coating (grease-resistant, non-PFAS characterization)
Bleached kraft wrappers with grease-resistant treatment are documented in scientific literature to contain fluorinated compounds. In-N-Out's specific coating chemistry is proprietary and unverified; migration into fatty foods is plausible but extent unknown without testing.
Bleached paper residues (dioxins, chlorine byproducts)
Bleaching with chlorine gas or chlorine dioxide can leave trace dioxin and chlorinated organic residues; modern bleaching reduces this significantly, but In-N-Out does not disclose bleaching method. Risk is low for short contact but non-zero.
Unidentified additives in coating or sizing
Fast-food wrappers often contain slip agents, cross-linkers, or antistatic additives in the coating layer that are not publicly disclosed. Migration into food during contact or heat is possible but typically at low levels.
Microplastic shedding from paper
No published evidence of significant microplastic release from burger wrappers. Paper fibrillation during handling is normal but ingestion of paper fragments is negligible for brief food contact.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 45% 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 fast-casual food packaging 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.