{"id":28988,"date":"2025-12-11T14:07:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T06:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rocker.com.tw\/application\/pfas-testing-in-food\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T11:32:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T03:32:09","slug":"pfas-testing-in-food","status":"publish","type":"application","link":"https:\/\/www.rocker.com.tw\/en\/application\/pfas-testing-in-food\/","title":{"rendered":"PFAS Testing in Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

PFAS Testing in Food: Optimizing Sample Preparation with QuEChERS
\nBased on U.S. FDA Research<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n

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The emerging contaminants known as PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances) are a large class of synthetic fluorinated aliphatic compounds, widely used in industrial and consumer products since the 1950s. PFAS are highly stable, persistent, and resistant to environmental degradation, earning them the nickname “forever chemicals.” Recent studies show that PFAS are commonly detected in water, soil, and the food safety, posing a range of risks to human health.<\/p>\n

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Table of Contents<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Why are PFAS the New Focus of Food Safety?<\/strong><\/a>
\nHow Do PFAS Get into Food?<\/strong><\/a>
\nInternational Regulations and Standards for PFAS in Food<\/strong><\/a>
\nChallenges and Solutions for PFAS Detection in Food<\/strong><\/a>
\nSteps for PFAS Detection in Food<\/strong><\/a>
\nHow to Avoid Hidden Contamination in Food PFAS Testing?<\/strong><\/a>
\nFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>Why are PFAS the New Focus of Food Safety?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals and have been linked to various health risks, including reduced immune system function, reproductive and developmental effects, increased cholesterol levels, and increased cancer risks. The main sources of human exposure to PFAS include drinking water and food intake. Therefore, in addition to water quality monitoring, food surveillance has become a key global concern.<\/p>\n

International bodies are actively monitoring PFAS in food and conducting risk assessments. For example, the U.S. FDA has continuously tested since 2019 and detected PFAS in various food samples, including seafood, meat, dairy products, and produce; the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also conducted a risk assessment on PFAS in food in 2020.<\/p>\n

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Further Reading:<\/strong> PFAS Testing and Removal Strategies in Water Sample Analysis<\/a><\/p>\n

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<\/a>How Do PFAS Get into Food?<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

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There are two main pathways for PFAS to enter food: environmental accumulation and food-contact materials.<\/p>\n

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  1. Bioaccumulation in the Food Chain<\/strong>: PFAS can enter crops, animal feed, meat, and aquatic products through contaminated environments, water, or biosolids. Due to their bioaccumulative nature, the concentration of PFAS is relatively higher in fish and aquatic products, especially in filter feeders like clams, oysters, and mussels.<\/li>\n
  2. Food Contact Materials (FCM)<\/strong>: Due to their oil- and water-repellent properties, PFAS are often used as grease-proofers in food packaging materials, such as paper bags, boxes, and cups. These chemicals can potentially migrate from the packaging material into the food.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Food packaging materials have now become a global regulatory focus. For instance, the European Union has listed PFAS as a critical management priority for Food Contact Materials (FCM) and packaging, gradually restricting PFAS-containing food packaging; the U.S. FDA announced that all PFAS grease-proofing agents used for food-contact purposes are no longer being sold in the U.S. market as of February 2024.<\/p>\n

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    <\/a>International Regulations and Standards for PFAS in Food<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

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    EU Regulation (EU) 2023\/915 sets maximum levels (MLs) for four main PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS) in specific foodstuffs, such as fish, crustaceans, bivalve molluscs, eggs, and meat. These MLs were originally introduced by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022\/2388 and became applicable starting January, 2023.<\/p>\n

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    Maximum Levels of PFAS in EU Regulation (EU) 2023\/915\uff1a<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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    EU 2023\/915 Regulation<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		Maximum Level (\u00b5g\/kg)<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
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    PerfluoroalkyI substances<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    PFOS<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    PFOA<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    PFNA<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    PFHxS<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Sum<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    Meat and Edible Offal<\/strong><\/th>\n\n

    Meat: bovine, pig, poultry<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    0.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Meat: sheep<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Offal: bovine, sheep, pig, poultry<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.4<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Meat: game except bear<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    3.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.6<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    9<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Offal: game except bear<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    50<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    25<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    45<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    50<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    Fishery Products & Bivalve Mollusks<\/strong><\/th>\n\n

    Muscle meat: fish except below<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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    Muscle meat*:
    \nBaltic herring, bonito, burbot, European sprat, flounder, tench, grey mullet, horse mackerel, sea lamprey, vendace, silverly lightfish, wolf fish, wild salmon & wild trout<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    2.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.2<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    Muscle meat*: anchovy, babel, bream, char, eel, pike-perch, perch, roach, smelt, whitefish<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    35<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    8<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    45<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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    Crustacean and bivalve mollusks<\/p>\n<\/th>\n

    		\n

    3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1.5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    5<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    Eggs<\/th>\nChicken eggs<\/th>\n\n

    1<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    0.3<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    1.7<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    \u25b2Source: \u201cAgilent, Global PFAS Regulations, Guidance, and Regulatory Methods\u201d<\/em>
    \n<\/em>*<\/span> E<\/span><\/em>xcept for infants and young children<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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    Other than the European Union (EU), the United States federal regulation currently has no formally unified maximum residue limits for PFAS in food.<\/p>\n

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    <\/a>Challenges and Solutions for PFAS Detection in Food<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

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    PFAS analysis in food is highly challenging due to the complexity of food matrices (rich in lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, pigments, etc.) and the need for extremely low concentration detection (ppb, ppt levels). Based on U.S. FDA research methods (e.g., C-010.03), QuEChERS has been used as an effective sample preparation approach to reduce the matrix effect.<\/p>\n

    QuEChERS offers multiple advantages: simplified, fast procedure, low solvent usage, and good reproducibility across various matrices. However, when dealing with complex foods or requiring extremely low limits of quantification, basic QuEChERS extraction often requires additional clean-up step. The FDA method suggests using a Weak Anion Exchange (WAX) SPE cartridge for further purification to ensure the required recovery and sensitivity for both long- and short-chain PFAS.
    \n\u00a0<\/p>\n