Plant fiber, as a natural high-polymer material, is frequently processed into various paper and paperboard products for disposable food packaging to replace traditional plastic materials. Due to its inadequacy in oil resistance, it is often treated with fluorinated organic compounds (PFAS) to improve oil resistance. Nevertheless, because of food safety risks and environmental protection reasons, some countries and regions outside China have enacted regulations to prohibit the use of PFAS in food packaging, and instead promote PFAS-free oil-proof food packaging. Currently, the development of PFAS-free oil-proof plant fiber food packaging in China is primarily focused on two technical pathways, and there are approximately a dozen companies capable of providing such solutions. However, the widespread adoption of PFAS-free products in China faces several challenges as lack of standardized testing method, performance deficiencies, relatively high costs and insufficient promotional efforts. The use of short-chain PFAS in food packaging as mass consumption also poses potential safety risks. The diverse pathways for PFAS releasing into the environment make it challenging to mitigate their impact. Furthermore, while permitting the use of certain PFAS components in food packaging materials increases regulatory complexity. Therefore, China should promote PFAS-free plant fiber food packaging as soon as possible. This abnegation of PFAS materials in food packaging industry presents an opportunity to foster cutting-edge food oil resistance technologies with independent Chinese intellectual property rights and establish globally recognized brands in the process.