The Food and Drug Administration will ban three chemical compounds that are used as water/oil repellants for paper and paperboard that contacts watery and fatty foods. That includes pizza boxes and sandwich wrappers. The FDA reported that perfluoroalkyl ethyl substances are clearly unhealthy and that the human body is unable to remove them completely.   

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FDA's ban includes other food packaging besides pizza boxes. They include sandwich wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and other food-contact substances (FCS).

The FDA's petition for the change states possible risks to human reproduction and development. It is based on a 2010 FDA review, according to CBS Sacramento.

Various groups have been petitioning the FDA for several years to ban the FCSs from food packages. Environmental Working Group (EWG) President Ken Cook stated that chemicals that are toxic to people's blood should not be added to food packaging, according to Food Poisoning Bulletin.

Cook also added that the FDA is banning three chemical compounds that corporations have already stopped producing. That happened in 2011.

Burger King and other companies ceased using wrappers containing PFCs years ago. Meanwhile, although chemical companies such as Dupont agreed to phase out the compounds, they stayed on the FDA's list of approved substances.

The FDA has approved 20 new PFC chemicals to be added to food packaging. EWG Senior Scientist David Andrews reported that they have a similar chemical structure as the phased-out substances, and could have some of the same health hazards.  

FDA's new rule was effective starting January 4, Monday. However, people can file objections until February 3.