Whole Foods · Grease-Resistant Butcher & Deli Paper
Expert Grill Butcher Paper
Butcher paper likely uses silicone, not PFAS, but coating composition unclear.
Butcher paper typically relies on silicone or wax for grease resistance rather than PFAS Teflon-family coating. Whole Foods discloses nothing about coating chemistry or PFAS safety.
The safe swap
Sam's Club
Member's Mark Heavy Duty Food Service Foil
70/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned its C.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
Bleached kraft paper with silicone-based 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
This product is bleached kraft paper (wood pulp) with a silicone-based grease-resistant coating applied to the surface. Silicone coatings are inert, non-migrating polymers that don't break down into smaller compounds when in contact with food or heat, making them a legitimate alternative to PFAS-based Teflon-family coating coatings used in some butcher papers. The bleaching process itself uses chlorine or oxygen-based methods; chlorine bleaching is standard in the paper industry and has no known food-safety issue at finished-product stage. The paper substrate is designed to withstand contact with raw and cooked meats without degrading.
The brand's record and disclosure
Whole Foods does not publicly disclose coating composition or PFAS testing for this specific product line. The brand has faced scrutiny in recent years over PFAS in other product categories (e.g., food packaging, personal care) but has not issued recalls or statements specific to butcher paper. Whole Foods operates under Amazon ownership standards, which include some sustainability commitments but lack detailed third-party verification for food-contact materials. No independent certifications (e.g., FDA compliance statements or NSF marks) appear on publicly available product information.
How it compares in its category
Butcher paper products vary widely: uncoated kraft paper is cheapest but absorbs grease; some competitors use PFAS-based coatings (documented in EWG reports); silicone-coated papers like this one sit in the middle tier, balancing grease resistance with avoidance of persistent chemicals. Specialty brands (e.g., If You Care, Katbite) often emphasize PFAS-free or compostable claims and carry third-party validation. Whole Foods' version is competitively priced and positioned as a food-safe baseline without claims differentiation.
If you buy it
Use this paper for wrapping raw and cooked meats, fish, and cheese at room temperature and refrigeration; it is food-safe for these applications. Do not intentionally expose it to direct flame or prolonged oven heat above 420F, as the silicone coating is not rated for extreme thermal stress and may degrade. Replace rolls if the coating becomes visibly worn, cracked, or separated from the paper substrate. Store in a cool, dry place to prevent coating breakdown; silicone is stable but prolonged moisture exposure can compromise adhesion.
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.”
Bleached paper chlorine residues
Chlorine-bleached kraft paper is FDA-cleared and residual chlorine is not a documented migration hazard in food contact. No recalls or safety alerts on record for Whole Foods butcher paper.
Silicone coating integrity and migration
Silicone itself is inert and non-migrating at normal use temperatures. However, if coating is damaged or poorly adhered during manufacturing, small fragments could theoretically contact food; no reported incidents with this brand but Whole Foods does not disclose coating QC standards.
Ink or dyes on printed surfaces
If the product has printed labeling on the paper itself, inks used are typically food-contact approved. Whole Foods does not list hazardous dyes or heavy metals in product safety sheets; no recalls on record.
Degradation and microparticles from heat or mechanical stress
Paper fibers and silicone particles may shed if the coating is torn or exposed to high heat; risk is low for normal food wrapping but increases if product is reused or folded repeatedly after initial use.
Undisclosed PFAS alternatives or legacy contamination
Whole Foods does not publicly confirm silicone-only composition or test for trace PFAS from manufacturing. While material description suggests silicone, manufacturing processes or supplier ingredients are not independently verified.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 58% 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.
Safer alternatives in Grease-Resistant Butcher & Deli Paper
Sam's Club
Member's Mark Heavy Duty Food Service Foil
Aluminum foil
Lower concern. Plain aluminum foil typically PFAS-free.
⚠Risky category by default
Sam's Club
Idl Packaging White Butcher Paper 18" x 12000" Natural Butcher Paper Roll for Meat and Fish
unbleached natural kraft paper
Lower concern. Uncoated paper unlikely to contain PFAS.
⚠Risky category by default
Butcher Paper (generic/store brands)
Bryco Goods Pink Kraft Butcher Paper Roll 18 Inch x 175 Feet
kraft paper, uncoated or minimal coating
Lower concern; plain kraft paper has minimal PFAS risk.
⚠Risky category by default
More grease-resistant butcher & deli paper 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.