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Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Wrapper PFAS “Forever Chemical” Lab Results

Mamavation » Blog » Food | Mamavation » Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Wrapper PFAS “Forever Chemical” Lab Results
butter on white background

February 23, 2023 //  by Leah Segedie

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Do Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter wrappers contain indications of PFAS “forever chemicals?” Several Mamavation community members asked us this question after hearing rumors and seeing posts about their wrappers containing PFAS. Then after we found indications of PFAS inside the old Kerrgold wrappers, we rushed the new Kerrygold wrappers to the lab and have new findings to report back on! You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like dental floss tested for indications of PFAS, green beauty makeup tested for indications of PFAS, and best cookware sans PFAS, now join us for the lab results of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter food packaging.

Disclosure: This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. This post also contains affiliate links. 

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Wrapper PFAS "Forever Chemical" Lab Results 2

Table of Contents

  • Health Effects Linked to Exposure to PFAS “Forever Chemicals”
  • Mamavation Finds Traces of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” In Other Adjacent Industries
  • Other Industries Using PFAS “Forever Chemicals”
  • Results of PFAS Organic Fluorine Marker Testing for Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Wrappers
    • Results from our Laboratory:
    • What Brand of Butter Does Mamavation Recommend Instead?

Health Effects Linked to Exposure to PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS “forever chemicals” are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances used as stain-resistant, water-resistant, & oil-resistant chemicals in commerce. They have been used for decades inside consumer products, manufacturing, and building materials. There are over 12,000 different chemicals in the PFAS chemical class (including PFOA & PTFE), and because there are so many of them, they are incredibly hard to identify and test for.

PFAS “forever chemicals” are problematic to human health and the environment. They are considered persistent, ubiquitous, and toxic, and therefore, it’s important you avoid them as much as you can to keep them from building up in our bodies. Many compounds can last for years in our bodies, therefore, it’s imperative to reduce the amount of PFAS you are exposed to from contaminated food and water.

Here’s a list of health effects PFAS chemicals are linked to presently according to our scientific advisor and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program, Linda Birnbaum:

  • reduction in immunity
  • reduced vaccination response
  • increased risk of allergies & asthma in young children
  • affect the growth, learning, and behavior of infants and older children
  • increase cholesterol levels
  • metabolic diseases like obesity & diabetes
  • cardiovascular disease
  • lower a woman’s chance of getting pregnant
  • lowers male fertility
  • increase the risk of kidney & testicular cancers
  • Causes endocrine disruption
  • Disrupts normal thyroid function

butter on wooden background

Mamavation Finds Traces of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” In Other Adjacent Industries

PFAS, otherwise known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (aka PFCs or perfluorinated chemicals, including PFOA and PFOS) are added to many products we purchase to make them “stain-resistant,” “grease-proof,” and “water-resistant.”

As we are writing this, Mamavation has finished 16 consumer studies looking for indications of PFAS inside everyday items and food we bring into our homes. In these studies, we have learned quite a bit about where PFAS chemicals hide in everyday products. Learn more about our other PFAS consumer studies here:

  • Nut Butters
  • Pasta & Tomato Sauce
  • Cooking Oils
  • Activewear
  • Sports Bras
  • Green Beauty Makeup
  • Period Underwear
  • Ketchup
  • Parchment Paper
  • Bamboo Flooring
  • Toilet Paper
  • Tampons
  • Sanitary Pads & Incontinence Pads
  • Dental Floss
  • Baby Strollers
  • Children’s Probiotics

Best Non-Toxic Cupcake & Muffin Pans Sans Toxic Coatings 1

Other Industries Using PFAS “Forever Chemicals”

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades to create stain resistance, water resistance, and grease-proof qualities in products to which they are added. If you’ve heard of coatings such as “Teflon” on cookware, fabrics made from “Gore-Tex” or treatments on carpets like STAINMASTER®, you’ve already heard about PFAS chemicals. Here’s more of what you may not have been aware of:

  • Textiles & Fabrics: PFAS chemicals are very commonly found in industries such as textiles & fabrics to create stain-resistance, water-resistance, or “sweat-wicking.” To help you here, Mamavation has tested athletic wear, sports bras, and period underwear. We’ve also conducted other consumer studies on bedding, children’s clothing, infant car seats,  jackets, & raincoats.
  • Food Packaging: In food packaging, they are used in popcorn bags, pizza boxes, fast food wrappers & canisters, and the flat dish on the bottom of cakes at the grocery store. Mamavation has also tested different parchment paper brands for indications of PFAS.
  • Personal Care Products: The beauty industry has been notoriously guilty of using PFAS to create a waterproof or long-lasting effect in makeup products. So Mamavation tested the most popular green beauty makeup brands, and we have also found some issues with period underwear, tampons, and sanitary pads. We also found quite a bit of detection in dental floss.
  • Toilet Paper: Mamavation found indications of PFAS in 24% of the toilet paper we sent to the lab. However, we also found plenty of ‘best” and “better” brands. Go take a look!
  • Cookware: Most “non-stick” cookware is coated with PFAS chemicals, including some stainless steel cookware, and small kitchen appliances like air fryers. Check out Mamavation’s investigation on cookware.
  • Carpeting & Flooring: PFAS has also been used in carpeting & flooring. Do you remember StainMaster™ carpet? That was PFAS. However, not all carpet has indications of PFAS. We recently tested one brand you can safely purchase. Mamavation also tested several bamboo flooring brands and found one brand that was free from PFAS.
  • Furniture: Watch out for “stain-resistant” treatments on furniture. We have not done any testing in this category yet.
  • Fire Fighting Foam: PFAS was used in firefighting foams and they have unfortunately been used extensively around military bases and airports. If you live close to a military base or airport, check with your local water district to see if they have tested the water for PFAS.
  • Metal Plating, Semiconductors, Lubrications, & Coating Additives: Lots of industrial applications of PFAS are used to keep equipment from rusting, getting overheated, or provide water-resistant, or grease-resistant qualities.
  • Drinking Water: Sadly, there are lots of places around the United States and all over the world that have drinking water contaminated with PFAS. Most of these areas are by military bases, airports, and other industrial parks that used PFAS for firefighting or other such uses. Luckily, Mamavation has done an investigation of the best water filters to remove PFAS.
  • Car Wax, Ski Wax, & Surfboard Wax: Yes, you guessed it. PFAS is used here for its grease & water-resistant qualities.
  • Some Processed Food: Mamavation has found indications of PFAS inside pasta & tomato sauces, nut butters, cooking oils, and ketchup. We are presently working on other food categories right now.

Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Wrapper

Results of PFAS Organic Fluorine Marker Testing for Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Wrappers

Mamavation released labs of Kerrygold Butter Wrappers earlier this year and those wrappers were gathered in January and tested in February. We were unsure if they were the old wrappers OR the new wrappers, but we suspected they were the old wrappers. However, as we were reporting the results, Kerrygold issued new butter wrappers and lined the shelves in California with their new packaging that was supposed to be “free from PFAS.” We grabbed more butter wrappers and sent them off to the lab looking for indications of PFAS “forever chemicals” and rushed the findings so we could report back to you today.

An EPA-certified laboratory conducted marker testing for PFAS “forever chemicals” of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter wrappers, both old and new versions. The specific lab method used by Mamavation tested for total fluorine by using the Determination of Total Fluorine by Oxygen Flask Combustion and Ion-Selective Electrode. If detectable total fluorine was observed at a detection level of 10ppm, the lab did the Determination of free Fluoride Ion in the tablet by Ion-Selective Electrode and then subtracted that from the Total Fluorine to determine the amount of organic fluorine.

Results from our Laboratory:

  • OLD WRAPPERS Kerrygold Pure Irish Unsalted Butter wrapper (silver food packaging)  — 61  parts per million (ppm) organic fluorine
  • NEW WRAPPERS Kerrygold Pure Irish Salted Butter Wrapper (gold food packaging) — 112 parts per million (ppm) organic fluorine

What does this mean? This means our lab detected trace amounts of organic fluorine inside the old wrapper of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Unsalted version. Then our lab also detected indications of PFAS inside the new version of Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter Salted butter wrappers that are new on the shelves in California. Organic fluorine is indicative of PFAS “forever chemicals,” therefore we do not recommend this product.

California has a new law that restricts PFAS in food packaging for companies selling food to Californians. The law states food packaging must be under 100 parts per million (ppm) total fluorine. Ironically, the old wrappers would have been in compliance because they were under 100 ppm, but these new wrappers are not in compliance with the new California law. We have operated the exact testing needed in accordance with this new law, i.e. total fluorine testing. Not only have we done total fluorine testing, but we have also done total organic fluorine testing as well.

Organic fluorine testing is marker testing. There are over 12,000 different PFAS chemicals in commerce and it’s impossible to identify all of them. In fact, it’s only possible to identify about 100 or so in a really good commercial lab. Therefore, we do marker testing instead looking for the element they all have in common–organic fluorine.

Other possibilities of what we could also be detected with organic fluorine? Organic fluorine can also capture other fluoropolymers, pharmaceuticals, and common hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, such as 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (commonly known as R-134a) and 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (commonly known as HFO-1234yf). None of these chemicals are “safe” for your health to consume. Our testing is only relevant to the batch and the product we tested, and therefore, we cannot make assumptions about other products.

Clover Organic Butter Wrapper

What Brand of Butter Does Mamavation Recommend Instead?

We didn’t want to leave you hanging, so we also tested some other products that we can recommend instead.

Here is an alternative product we also recently tested and it had non-detect results for organic fluorine, which is a marker for PFAS “forever chemicals.”

  • Clover Sonoma Organic Salted Butter — non-detect organic fluorine

What does this mean? This means that our EPA-certified laboratory did NOT detect any trace amounts of organic fluorine in this product and we believe it is safe to purchase.

As we do more testing of butter wrappers, we will keep you updated.

Recent Product Investigations

  • Blistex Medicated Lip Balm & Ointment PFAS “Forever Chemicals” Lab Report
  • Scotch Magic Tape — Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals — Results from Lab
  • Post-It Notes — Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Lab Results
  • Cupcake Liners Tested For Indications of PFAS “Forever Chemicals” — Buying Guide
  • Omega-3 Supplements for Dogs & Cats Recalled — Better Recommended Brands
Previous Post: «Best (& Worst) Non-Toxic Indoor Kitchen Grills & Paninis Sans PFAS 7 Best (& Worst) Non-Toxic Indoor Kitchen Grills & Paninis Sans PFAS
Next Post: Organic Valley Sweet Cream Salted Butter Wrapper PFAS “Forever Chemical” Lab Results Organic Valley Sweet Cream Salted Butter Wrapper»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. KAREN LINCOLN

    March 15, 2023 at 7:26 am

    WHAT ABOUT CHALLENGE BUTTER

    Reply
  2. KAREN LINCOLN

    March 15, 2023 at 7:25 am

    WHAT ABOUT CHALLENGE BUTTER

    Reply
  3. Barbara S. Lizotte

    March 14, 2023 at 1:37 pm

    Since this brand of Irish butter has always had the unsalted in silver and the salted in gold, did the “new wrapper” that tested so high have any labeling on it to indicate that it was new or could it actually have been the old one if it did not have any special labeling on it.
    Just wondering!

    Reply
  4. Devina Horvath

    March 14, 2023 at 11:52 am

    Can you explain your sample collection procedures that ensure lack of cross contamination? How many samples were analyzed?

    Reply
  5. JR

    March 14, 2023 at 11:47 am

    Many of us do NOT have the time to read paragraph after paragraph, rehashing stuff we already know, then a lot of quasi-advertising.

    I gave up looking for what should have been a simple yes or no answer.

    Very disappointed Mamavation just turning into what appears to be another big biz full of disrespect for the LIMITED TIME many of us have. You can’t just **get to the point???*** in a few paragraphs???

    Reply
  6. Rehoboth

    March 7, 2023 at 11:20 pm

    Excellent recipe

    Reply
    • Josefina Ziadie

      March 16, 2023 at 6:07 am

      What about the Kerry Gold Butter that is sold in plastic containers

      Reply
  7. Melody Volz

    March 4, 2023 at 9:02 pm

    Can you test Truly butter from whole foods?

    Reply
    • Laura

      March 15, 2023 at 7:43 am

      Would also love to see you test Truly butter as it’s the only other option for grass fed butter in our area

      Reply
  8. Papa's Pizzeria

    March 4, 2023 at 1:50 am

    This food is something I love when I was young.

    Reply
  9. Judy

    February 28, 2023 at 3:30 pm

    Costco’s in California had to pull the Kerrygold from its shelves because of the PFAS in the wrappers. It is just returning now with new Non PFAS wrappers. I read the same was done in New York.

    Reply
  10. Jordan

    February 25, 2023 at 7:21 pm

    Please tell me you have contacted Kerry Gold? I am SO sad about this – it is the BeST butter! I use it daily in my bulletproof coffee!!

    Reply
  11. Ana

    February 24, 2023 at 2:40 pm

    Thanks so much for all you do! Did you test the old packaging or the newest packaging that have been released in NY and CA?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 14, 2023 at 2:50 pm

      she tested both, the old packaging was better than the new

      Reply
  12. Marthe Schulwolf

    February 24, 2023 at 11:11 am

    Could you also test Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter? I usually hate products that pretend to be something else, but I actually like Miyoko’s (expensive, but good, and no cholesterol either). Wondering if all the stick style butter packages are suspect, but are the plastic tubs any better….

    Reply
    • Catherine Day

      February 25, 2023 at 2:48 pm

      I’d love to see this as well! Thank you!

      Reply
  13. Elizabeth Horn

    February 24, 2023 at 7:02 am

    Hello, I have been buying Kerrygold butter but the packaging is different. It’s the option with the 2 individually wrapped sticks of butter inside a cardboard type box. The wrappers are clear and have a completely different look than the one you tested. Is it possible this packaging is free of PFAS? It’s disheartening because it’s grass fed butter so the product itself is wonderful and I’ve been using for years and years. I would love to know if this alternative wrapping is possibly safe. Please advise.

    Reply
    • Colleen Dundon

      February 25, 2023 at 8:04 am

      It would be nice to have this information. I agree with this person about the different packaging. Anyway, possible to test the other packaging?
      Colleen

      Reply
    • Anonymous

      February 26, 2023 at 2:04 pm

      I too have been purchasing Kerrygold butter for years and now will no longer buy any of their products. I am unable to trust a management team that prioritize profit over their consumer’s health. There are alternatives from better companies. Vote with your dollars. I am.

      Reply
  14. Karen Woodford

    February 23, 2023 at 9:19 pm

    What kind of salt is in that butter you recommended? And is the butter from grass fed cows? Those things make a big difference!! More info is needed before I forgo Kerry Gold. Their butter is awesome.

    Reply
  15. Anonymous

    February 23, 2023 at 9:03 pm

    Ugh this stuff just keeps showing up everywhere. If it’s at all helpful to anyone, I just read an article from Consumer Reports where it says that Trader Joes butter wrappers for their unsalted and cultured salted butter tested non-detect for PFAS. (although the box for the pancake bread that I literally just bought today tested really high. So annoying!) It also lists results for a lot of other fast food wrappers and other items. Some of the amounts are really scary.
    https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-contaminants/dangerous-pfas-chemicals-are-in-your-food-packaging-a3786252074/#allResults

    Reply
    • Rs

      February 27, 2023 at 3:11 pm

      Can I return kerrygold without receipt? How annoying indded!

      Reply
  16. Donna Carpenter

    February 23, 2023 at 8:18 pm

    Was the wrapper of the clover organic butter tested or the actual butter? Why was only the wrapper tested on the kerry gold butter?

    Reply
  17. Joanna Kling

    February 23, 2023 at 8:09 pm

    What about Kerrygold tubs of butter?

    Reply
  18. Kseniya

    February 23, 2023 at 6:37 pm

    Can you guys please test the ones in Whole Foods that are from France , Italy, New Zealand? Don’t like clover at all

    Reply
  19. ML

    February 23, 2023 at 6:33 pm

    KerryGold was asked to reformulate their packaging. Here in NY State it was pulled off shelves for about a month and only now is “just” back. Can you specify if the test was done on the original foil wrapper OR if this was the testing done on the new “reformulated” wrappers? Makes a big difference in future purchases–thank you SO much!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 14, 2023 at 2:52 pm

      all the info about testing the old AND new wrappers is at the beginning of her article 🙂 Both wrappers bad.

      Reply
  20. Kristi H

    February 23, 2023 at 6:00 pm

    Would love to see the results of the Kirkland organic butter wrappers. That is the butter that we currently consume.

    Reply
    • Anon

      March 15, 2023 at 3:10 pm

      Agree, the New Zealand stuff was seemingly and alternative

      Reply
  21. Tara

    February 23, 2023 at 5:48 pm

    Honestly why would anyone eat GMO/glyphosate filled Kerrygold butter anyway? Biggest marketing success story ever for butter that is still toxic.

    Thank you for your work!

    Reply
    • ak

      February 26, 2023 at 5:09 pm

      I would love any links you have on that, my family uses it and have not heard anything negative. Thanks.

      Reply
  22. Sheri Padilla

    February 23, 2023 at 5:44 pm

    I love the Irish butter, maybe you can contact the company and they will change the wrapper?
    Thanks,
    Sheri

    Reply

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