State Regulators Order Producers to Tell You What’s in the Product—and Set Deadline to Get Rid of ‘Forever Chemicals’

New Mexico sets a 2032 deadline to eliminate “forever chemicals” in consumer products, with phased bans and new labeling rules starting 2027.

Starting in 2027, New Mexico will ban products that contain intentionally added Per- and Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)—better known as ‘forever chemicals.’ That means items like cookware, food packaging, and even toys will be off the shelves under new rules approved by the state’s Environmental Improvement Board.

Cosmetics, furniture, and carpets will join the list in 2028. And four years later, the state will fully phase out all non‑exempt PFAS products.

The move places New Mexico among the most aggressive states in the U.S., like Minnesota and Maine, in regulating PFAS. With the phaseout, state regulators require manufacturers to label products containing intentionally added PFAS so consumers have clearer information about what they are buying.

Health and environmental concerns have increased over PFAS, a class of chemicals that do not easily break down and can accumulate in the human body. A study funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences linked PFAS to a wide range of cancers, raising alarms over their widespread use in everyday products.

“Labeling consumer products containing PFAS is about honesty – a concept now
required by regulation,” said Environmental Secretary James Kenney. Companies must now disclose which common goods—from cookware to cosmetics—contain the chemicals, he added.

The rules strengthen the PFAS Protection Act, which Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed in 2025. The labeling requirement applies to manufacturers, but not to retailers or consumers.

State officials say the move combines transparency with a long-term phaseout. The move aims to minimize public health and environmental risks linked to PFAS exposure.

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