the us food and drug administration has approved an additive for use in paper and board food packaging, which the manufacturer describes as &ldquopfoafree&rdquo.switzerlandbased archroma says the substance is an alternative to longchain perfluorinated compounds pfcs, known as c8s, such as perfluorinooctanoic acid pfoa. based on a shorterchain c6 fluoropolymer chemistry, it is less environmentally persistent than the similar longerchain substances, the company says. in addition to fda approval, the additive complies with the recommendations of the german federal institute for risk assessment bfr, it says.in europe, danish retailers are collaborating with the national government to find alternatives to pfcs, including pfoa, that meet the chemical&39s soil, grease and water resistant properties cw 4 march 2015. 
