In a regulation adopted on Wednesday 7 December, the European Commission has set maximum limits for four PFAS in food to reduce consumer exposure to these highly toxic, so-called ‘forever’ chemical substances - exposure that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has identified as a concern.
These chemical substances are perfluorooctane sulphonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorohexanesulphonic acid (PFHxS).
The regulation sets maximum levels for PFOS, PFOA, NFP and PFHxS and the sum of these four PFAS in eggs, fish meat, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, meat and offal from farmed and wild animals.
Supported unanimously by EU Member States, the new rules will apply from 1 January 2023.
In 2020, EFSA concluded from a health risk assessment that these PFASs may have developmental effects and adverse effects on serum cholesterol, the liver, the immune system and birth weight.
Considering the effects on the immune system as the most critical, it established a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 4.4 ng/kg body weight per week for the sum of PFOS, PFOA, PFNA and PFHxS, which also protects against the other effects of these substances, the Commission points out. EFSA concluded that the exposure of part of the population exceeded this tolerable weekly intake.
For follow-up investigations to determine the causes of contamination, when maximum levels of PFAS in food of animal origin are exceeded, it is important that laboratories are also able to monitor feed, drinking water of animals and the soil on which animals live.
It is recommended that Member States whose laboratories have this capacity analyse PFAS in feed.
The European Reference Laboratory is undertaking further work to help laboratories develop this capacity. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)