[Blog] Hungry for more: The EU limits “forever chemicals” in food – but the universal PFAS ban is still far away

January 17, 2023

Read the full article by ChemSec

"At long last, the EU has set limits for how much PFAS food sold within the union is allowed to contain. The limits came into force on January 1, and now it’s up to food producers, along with government agencies, to make sure they are not exceeded. All the while, it’s business as usual for the creators behind the ongoing “forever chemicals” pollution – companies producing and applying PFAS to everyday products.

Considering the fact that PFAS is the talk of the town these days, it may be surprising to learn that the EU has not set a limit for how much PFAS is allowed in food sold within the union – until now. Over the summer, EU member states decided to introduce common limit values for PFAS in meat, fish and eggs, following a proposal from the European Commission.

The new limits are trailing the risk assessment carried out by the EU’s Food Safety Authority (EFSA) back in 2020.

The assessment established a health-based guidance value of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per week of combined amount of four common PFAS substances, also known as the PFAS4: PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and PFHxS."