On October 17, 2023, California Attorney General (AG) Rob Bonta released an enforcement advisory letter1 to manufacturers, distributors, and sellers of food packaging and cookware detailing how he intends to enforce AB 1200.2 The law bans the sale of regulated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging in California, and also requires disclosure and labeling of chemicals on a “designated list,” including PFAS, that are present in the food contact surface or the handle of cookware products sold in California.

Since the individual laws do not provide specific enforcement mechanisms, this announcement is the first time the AG’s office has articulated the authorities it plans to use to enforce these laws. The enforcement advisory letter provides a clear warning to the regulated community, from manufacturers to importers to distributors and retailers, that California will be enforcing its PFAS laws. Similar advisories could be issued in the future for California’s other laws restricting the sale of juvenile products, textiles, and cosmetics containing PFAS.