The most effective ways to reduce PFAS in your diet are choosing lower-risk seafood, filtering your drinking water, switching to PFAS-free cookware, and being selective about food packaging. The good news: FDA testing found no detectable PFAS in over 95% of fresh and processed foods sampled. The bad news: seafood is a notable exception, and your water supply may be a bigger source of dietary exposure than the food itself.
Seafood Is the Highest-Risk Food Category
Of the 1,352 fresh and processed foods the FDA tested in its Total Diet Study, only 62 samples had detectable PFAS. Of those 62, a full 46 were seafood. In a separate 2022 survey focused specifically on seafood, 74% of samples from clams, cod, crab, pollock, salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and tuna contained at least one type of PFAS.
Filter-feeding shellfish are the biggest concern. Clams, oysters, mussels, and scallops filter large volumes of water and can accumulate environmental contaminants at higher concentrations than other seafood. Canned clams sourced from Asia showed some of the highest total PFAS levels in retail testing, with one study finding concentrations up to 23 parts per billion in a single sample. Chinese-sourced clams had median levels of one specific PFAS compound (PFOA) at 2.4 parts per billion, exceeding European Union safety limits.
That doesn’t mean you need to stop eating seafood entirely. Fin fish like salmon, tilapia, and shrimp tend to carry lower levels than shellfish. If you eat flounder, catfish, or cod frequently (several times per week), your cumulative exposure is worth paying attention to. Varying the types of seafood you eat and limiting how often you eat bivalve shellfish are the simplest steps to lower your risk.
Filter Your Water With the Right System
Drinking water can be a significant and ongoing source of PFAS exposure. In 2024, the EPA set the first-ever federal limits for PFAS in public drinking water: 4 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS (the two most studied compounds) and 10 parts per trillion for three additional PFAS chemicals. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply, so a home filter can bridge that gap.
Not all filters work equally well. Under-sink reverse osmosis systems are the clear winner, removing over 92% of PFOA and 100% of PFOS in testing. Standard activated carbon filters (the kind in most pitcher filters) are far less reliable, removing roughly 60 to 70% of longer-chain PFAS but only about 40% of shorter-chain varieties. Whole-house granular activated carbon systems were even more inconsistent: half showed significant PFAS removal, and half showed almost none. Whole-house ion exchange systems were similarly unpredictable.
If you’re choosing a filter specifically for PFAS, a reverse osmosis system installed under your kitchen sink gives you the most consistent protection for drinking and cooking water. If that’s not practical, a dual-stage activated carbon filter is a reasonable second choice, though it won’t catch short-chain PFAS as effectively.
Replace Nonstick Cookware
Traditional nonstick coatings are made with PFAS compounds. While many manufacturers have phased out PFOA specifically, replacement chemicals (often marketed as “GenX” or similar) are now used instead. These newer compounds haven’t been studied long enough to know whether they carry the same health risks. A label that says “PFOA-free” does not mean “PFAS-free.”
Several cookware materials avoid this concern entirely:
- Cast iron: Naturally nonstick when seasoned properly, extremely durable, and adds small amounts of dietary iron.
- Stainless steel: Nontoxic and safe for everyday use. Higher-quality stainless steel avoids excess nickel, which matters if you have a nickel allergy.
- Carbon steel: Good for high-heat cooking, similar iron-leaching profile to cast iron.
- Glass: The most inert material for both cooking and food storage.
- Porcelain enamel: Typically cast iron coated in a glass-based enamel. Look for products labeled lead and cadmium-free.
- Ceramic: Naturally nonstick at low and medium temperatures. Check the label to make sure there’s no added nonstick coating hiding underneath the “ceramic” marketing.
For utensils, wood options like bamboo, cherry, and acacia are safe and don’t carry PFAS contamination risk.
Food Packaging Has Improved, but Watch for Older Products
Grease-proof coatings on fast food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, and takeout containers were once a major route of PFAS exposure. That picture has changed substantially. As of early 2024, all PFAS-containing grease-proofing agents for paper and paperboard food packaging have been pulled from the U.S. market. The FDA formally revoked the authorizations for all 35 related food contact substances in January 2025.
This means new packaging produced for the U.S. market should no longer contain PFAS grease-proofers. However, older inventory may still be in circulation, and imported products could follow different rules. Reducing your reliance on greasy paper-wrapped takeout food is still a reasonable precaution, especially from smaller vendors who may cycle through packaging stock more slowly.
When storing food at home, glass containers are the safest option. They’re completely inert and won’t leach anything into your food regardless of temperature.
Growing Your Own Food
If you garden at home, PFAS in soil or irrigation water can transfer into the plants you grow. Adding organic matter like compost or well-aged manure to your soil can reduce the ability of plants to absorb PFAS. This works because organic material binds to PFAS compounds, making them less available for root uptake.
If you use well water for irrigation and live in an area with known PFAS contamination (near military bases, airports, industrial sites, or firefighting training facilities), testing your well water is a practical first step. Your state or county health department can direct you to certified labs. If levels are elevated, using filtered municipal water for your garden or focusing on fruiting crops (tomatoes, peppers, squash) rather than leafy greens may help, since PFAS tend to accumulate more in leaves than in fruit.
Practical Priorities
Given that over 95% of non-seafood foods tested clean for PFAS, the biggest gains come from a few targeted changes. Filtering your cooking and drinking water with a reverse osmosis system addresses what is likely your most consistent exposure source. Limiting bivalve shellfish, particularly imported clams, reduces your highest-risk food category. Switching to cast iron, stainless steel, or glass cookware eliminates a daily contact point. And using glass containers for food storage instead of treated paper or plastic removes one more variable from the equation.
These changes don’t require overhauling your entire diet. PFAS contamination in food is concentrated in a few specific categories, and the most effective steps are ones you only need to make once.