BfR publishes guidance values for PFAS in animal feed

Animal feed as a key to compliance with PFAS maximum levels in food of animal origin

Aug 2024. In July 2024, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) published a statement^[1] on the relationship between per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in feed and food and classified feed as a key to compliance with PFAS maximum levels in animal foodstuffs.

We give you an overview of the background to the BfR statement, the proposed guidance values for PFAS in selected feedstuffs and explain how we can support you in monitoring and analysing PFAS in your food and feed.

Background to the BfR statement

Since January 2023, maximum levels apply to selected PFAS in animal foods such as eggs, fishery products and bivalve molluscs, meat and edible offal. The legal requirements for PFAS in food are described in detail on our page PFAS: Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances in food. Maximum levels for PFAS in feed have not yet been published in the EU.

PFAS belong to the group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Due to their wide range of technical applications, they are now ubiquitous in the environment. Plants can absorb these pollutants from contaminated soil or water as they grow. When plant-based feed is fed to animals for food production, these pollutants enter into the bodies of farm animals and thus also into food.

PFAS in complete feedingstuffs: guidance values

Using transfer studies on livestock the BfR has created toxicokinetic models for the following selected farm animals: laying hen, cattle, sheep, fattening pig, dairy cow.

It was assumed that the animals are only exposed to PFAS via the complete feed and without prior exposure of the animal to PFAS. On this basis, the maximum possible PFAS levels in complete feed were determined, so that the EU maximum levels for the associated foodstuffs are not exceeded after feeding in a purely mathematical way. These values can be used as consumer protection-based guidance values until maximum levels are set for animal feed. The guidance values calculated by the German BfR in 2024 are summarised in the following table.

Consumer protection-based guidance values for PFAS in selected complete feeding stuffs according to the German BfR (2024)

Farm animal	Food	PFOS	PFOA	PFNA	PFHxS
Farm animal	Food	in µg/kg dry matter
Laying hen	Eggs	0.42	0.25	0.29	0.17
Cattle	Meat and edible offal of bovine animals	0.14	n.a.	n.a.	1.0
Sheep	Meat and edible offal of sheep	0.21 #	n.a.	n.a.	n.a.
Fattening pig	Meat and edible offal of pig	0.07	0.05	n.a.	0.06
Dairy cow	Milk	0.07	6.5	n.a.	3.7

PFAS in feed materials: Monitoring recommendation

According to the assessment of the BfR, the current data situation does not allow an estimation of the proportion of individual feed components to the total PFAS concentration in the feed ration of a complete feed in order to ensure that food of animal origin contains PFAS levels that do not exceed the applicable maximum levels. Therefore, the BfR has not determined consumer protection-based guidance values for PFAS in feed materials.

To improve the data situation and to derive future recommendations on possible options for action when compiling rations, the BfR recommends that representative PFAS data for various feed materials from different origins should be collected as part of monitoring programmes.

PFAS sources other than animal feed

(Farm) animals can ingest PFAS not only from feed. Other sources can also contribute to the exposure of animals to PFAS. Such a transfer of PFAS can occur via soil ingested by foraging farm animals or via drinking water. For animals kept in stables, other materials may also lead to exposure.

Analysis of PFAS at Eurofins

The Competence Center for Dioxins & Persistent Organic Compounds (POPs) in the Eurofins laboratory network for food and feed testing in Germany, Eurofins GfA Lab Service GmbH, analyses not only the above mentioned main representatives of PFAS, but also various additional substances of this group of pollutants according to the scope of Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431^[2] in food and feed with correspondingly low limits of quantification. We also analyse biota, water, soil and sediments, materials, chemicals and even human samples (breast milk and blood). All analytical methods are accredited according to DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018.

Do you have any questions regarding PFAS or our analytical methods?

Talk to your personal account manager or contact our experts on PFAS directly.

Relevant Sources

[1] BfR (2024). Feed is key to compliance with maximum PFAS levels in food of animal origin
[2] Commission Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431 of 24 August 2022 on the monitoring of perfluoroalkyl substances in food