Testing services / Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food (EU compliance)

Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food (EU compliance)

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that certain perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) such as PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, and PFHxS can cause adverse effects on serum cholesterol, the liver, the immune system, and birth weight.

To minimize human exposure to PFAS through the diet, the European Union has set limits on PFAS concentrations in several types of food. In Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on food contaminants, maximum levels for perfluoroalkyl substances have been set for:

Eggs
Fishery products
Meat and edible offal

This PFAS analysis includes the determination of the following substances, for which maximum levels are set in EU legislation:

Compound	Abbreviation	CAS number
Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid	PFOS	2795-39-3
Perfluorooctanoic acid	PFOA	335-67-1
Perfluorononanoic acid	PFNA	375-95-1
Perfluorohexane sulfonic acid	PFHxS	3871-99-6

More information about the method family:

LC-MS analysis (LC-MS)

Suitable sample matrices: Meat and meat products, fishery products, eggs and egg products
Required sample quantity: 200 g or 400 ml
Typical turnaround time: 3 weeks after receiving the samples
Detection limit: LOQ 0.1 µg/kg per substance; LOQ 0.1 µg/kg sum of PFAS (the reporting limit might vary depending on the sample matrix)
Available quality systems: Accredited test method
Device types: LC-MS
Method expert: Meeri Rantanen