PFAS tests also required in animal feed

One cause of contamination of food of animal origin with PFAS can be found in already contaminated feed. AGROLAB LUFA GmbH therefore offers accredited analysis of PFAS in feed in addition to food.

PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances) are synthetic substances used in many industrial and consumer products. They are difficult to biodegrade and are now ubiquitous in the environment. PFAS can also be found in feed fed to animals intended for human consumption. Consumption of meat, milk and eggs from animals fed with PFAS-contaminated feed can lead to human exposure to these substances. Accumulation in the human and also in the animal organism can cause severe health damage.

In  EU regulation 2022/2388 of 7.12.2022 binding limit values were set for the four most important representatives of PFAS for certain foods of animal origin. These are the following substances:

As soon as contamination with PFAS is detected in food, the sources must also be identified in order to be able to take appropriate steps to prevent further entries into the food chain.

Currently, there are no binding maximum levels for PFAS in animal feed. Prior to this, EU-wide monitoring is to provide further insights into the occurrence and concentrations of PFAS in all the different feedstuffs. Nevertheless, it is already important that feed producers have their products tested for PFAS in order to protect both animal and human health.

YOUR PLUS: Our LC MS/MS method is accredited not only for food matrices but also for all common single and compound feeds. The limits of determination for the substances mentioned are 0.1 µg/kg.

Author: Dr. Martin Hanauer