{"id":20404,"date":"2025-10-26T03:34:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-26T00:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/?p=20404"},"modified":"2025-10-26T03:37:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-26T00:07:35","slug":"pfas-microplastics-food-standards-monitoring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/pfas-microplastics-food-standards-monitoring\/","title":{"rendered":"Emerging Food Contaminants: PFAS & Microplastics, Limits & Monitoring"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Emerging Contaminants in the Food Industry: PFAS and Microplastics, Limits and Monitoring<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Today\u2019s food chain faces two groups of emerging contaminants: per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and microplastic particles. Owing to high chemical persistence and complex environmental behavior, they can enter final products from water and soil to raw materials and packaging. For Iran\u2019s food industry and export-oriented firms, precise knowledge of scope, permissible limits, and monitoring methods is not optional it is the price of entry to stringent global markets. New regulations in the EU, the United States, Canada, and Japan show the window for alignment is short, and investments made now in monitoring and treatment will become tomorrow\u2019s competitive advantage.<\/p>\n

PFAS, under the OECD\u2019s updated definition, are substances that contain at least one fully fluorinated methyl or methylene group; these highly stable carbon\u2013fluorine bonds make them resistant to degradation and costly to remove at industrial scale. This definition underpins many regulatory actions and scientific inventories and broadens the range of substances covered.<\/p>\n\n

\u2013 The Updated Regulatory Picture<\/h3>\n

In the European Union, since 1401-10-11, maximum levels for PFAS have been enforceable in certain foods such as eggs, game bird meat, bovine liver, and fish. For example, in eggs, the maximum for PFOS is 1 \u03bcg\/kg and the sum of four selected PFAS is 1 \u03bcg\/kg; for fatty fish, PFOS and the sum of four PFAS are each 2 \u03bcg\/kg.<\/p>\n

For European drinking water, Directive 2020\/2184 introduces two PFAS parameters: \u201csum of 20 selected PFAS\u201d at 0.1 \u03bcg\/L and \u201ctotal PFAS\u201d at 0.5 \u03bcg\/L. National implementation has a deadline of 1404-10-22.<\/p>\n

In the United States, on 1403-01-22 the EPA finalized the first nationwide enforceable drinking water standard for six PFAS: 4 ng\/L for PFOA and PFOS, and 10 ng\/L for PFNA, PFHxS, and HFPO-DA, along with a hazard index for mixtures. The timeline targets an initial monitoring period through 1406 and completion of compliance actions by 1408.<\/p>\n

Canada, as of 1403-05-19, set a \u201cdrinking water quality target\u201d for the sum of 25 PFAS at 30 ng\/L and recommends a \u201creduce to the extent reasonably achievable\u201d approach. This aligns with reference analytical methods and is implementable for water utilities and the food sector.<\/p>\n\n

\u2013 Microplastics Under the Lens<\/h3>\n

On microplastics, the EU\u2019s Regulation 2023\/2055 has introduced an EU-wide restriction on \u201cintentionally added synthetic polymer particles,\u201d effective from 1402-07-03, defining an implementation size range of 1 nanometer to 5 millimeters. The clear message for formulators in food and cosmetics is to move toward alternatives free of intentionally added microplastics.<\/p>\n

From a food safety science perspective, EFSA\u2019s scientific opinion dated 1399-06-27 set a tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 4.4 ng\/kg body weight per week for the sum of four PFAS (PFOS\/PFOA\/PFHxS\/PFNA). Regarding microplastics, EFSA\u2019s 1395 statement notes that toxicity and kinetic data are still insufficient to quantify human risk, underscoring the need to standardize analytical methods.<\/p>\n

For Iran, the message is clear: adopting a shared regulatory and analytical language with destination markets from substance definitions and methods to reporting and labeling is a prerequisite for competitiveness. A practical strategy can start with monitoring process water in water-intensive facilities, extend to priority foods such as eggs and aquatic products, and shift packaging toward PFAS-free alternatives and polymers without intentionally added microplastics. This path turns targeted investment in LC-MS\/MS capacity and treatment systems into a durable competitive edge.<\/p>\n

Reliable monitoring is impossible without reference methods. For water, EPA Methods 537.1 and 533 standardize LC-MS\/MS measurement of 18 and 25 analytes at nanogram-per-liter levels; Method 1633 has been finalized for wastewater, sludge, sediment, and tissue, closing the gap on transfer assessment into the food chain. In Europe, official documents emphasize achieving nanogram-per-liter analytical performance in water. For microplastics, imaging tools such as micro-FTIR and micro-Raman identify polymer types, while thermal techniques like Py-GC\/MS and TED-GC\/MS quantify polymer mass.<\/p>\n\n

\u2013 Michael S. Regan, EPA Administrator:<\/cite> \u201cPFAS-contaminated drinking water has burdened communities across the country for far too long.\u201d<\/blockquote>\n
\u2013 Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality:<\/cite> \u201cThe first national drinking water standard for PFAS is a significant step for environmental justice.\u201d<\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Global Frameworks and Reliable Case Studies<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Countries have chosen different yet converging pathways to control PFAS and microplastics. Alongside setting maximum levels for PFAS in certain foods, the European Union covers the drinking-water chain with two parameters: the \u201csum of 20 selected PFAS\u201d and \u201ctotal PFAS.\u201d Member States may implement one or both. Germany will officially enforce the \u201csum of 20 PFAS\u201d at 0.1 \u00b5g\/L from 1405-10-23 and, from 1407-10-23, will mandate an additional, stricter \u201cPFAS-4 sum\u201d parameter at 0.02 \u00b5g\/L. UBA source<\/a> TZW brief<\/a><\/p>\n

In the United States, the final PFAS standard includes a clear timeline for monitoring and compliance: three years for initial monitoring through 1406 and five years to complete mitigation actions by 1408. Beyond regulation, the Infrastructure Law has been leveraged for financing: $1 billion in new funding and $9 billion in targeted resources for PFAS and other emerging contaminants. This blend of rule-making and budgeting offers a replicable roadmap for countries at the start of PFAS management. Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Canada has set a \u201cdrinking-water quality target\u201d for the sum of 25 PFAS at 30 ng\/L, introducing a group-based model aligned with reference analytical methods and recommending \u201creduction to the extent reasonably achievable.\u201d For the food industry, this alignment enables use of a shared monitoring protocol across production units and process-water facilities. Source<\/a><\/p>\n

Japan, on 1404-04-19, set a 50 ng\/L limit for \u201cPFOS+PFOA\u201d in sterilized and disinfected mineral water and began harmonization with municipal water standards directly relevant for bottled-water producers and food sectors requiring high-purity water. Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\u2013 Impact on Packaging and the Supply Chain<\/h3>\n

In food packaging, the U.S. FDA reports that PFAS uses in grease-resistant papers have been phased out and the supply chain has migrated to alternative formulations. The implicit message for domestic producers is that standardizing PFAS-free food-contact materials is no longer a nice-to-have but a competitive necessity. Source<\/a><\/p>\n

On the microplastics front, the REACH restriction using an operational definition of 1 nanometer to 5 millimeters focuses industry attention on \u201cintentionally added\u201d sources. While it does not cover all unintentional process-derived microplastics, it paves the way to reduce intentional inputs to the environment and indirectly affects the risk of transfer into the food chain. In parallel, JRC technical guidance on sampling, background-contamination control, and analysis via micro-FTIR and micro-Raman has helped harmonize the measurement infrastructure. Regulation source<\/a> JRC guidance<\/a><\/p>\n

Food-specific details in EU rules show that focusing on high-risk matrices is logical: for eggs, the maximum for PFOS is 1 \u00b5g\/kg and the sum of four selected PFAS is 1 \u00b5g\/kg; for fatty fish, PFOS and the sum of four PFAS are each 2 \u00b5g\/kg; and dedicated levels are set for game bird meat and bovine liver. These limits were set in Regulation 2022\/2388 and later consolidated in Regulation 2023\/915. Source<\/a><\/p>\n

At the metric level, water uses nanograms per liter, while food uses micrograms per kilogram. For microplastics, in addition to particle counts per liter or kilogram, measurement of polymer mass via Py-GC\/MS or TED-GC\/MS is becoming widespread. Polymer identification and size distribution by micro-FTIR and micro-Raman, together with controlling background contamination using polymer-free consumables, are prerequisites for data quality. Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n

\u2013 Michael S. Regan, EPA Administrator:<\/cite> \u201cBy finalizing this standard today, we will save many lives.\u201d<\/blockquote>\n
\u2013 Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality:<\/cite> \u201cNational PFAS standards are a meaningful step toward universal access to safe drinking water.\u201d<\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A Technical\u2013Economic Roadmap for Iran\u2019s Food Industry<\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For export-oriented facilities, the low-risk pathway starts with process water. Incoming water and water used for washing, formulation, and steam must be monitored for PFAS using reference methods so that sources of contamination are controlled at the root. Choosing between Methods 533 and 537.1 depends on target analytes and chain length; test laboratories that run both methods can cover a wider range of analytes and align reporting with expectations in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. For wastewater, sludge, and process solids, implementing Method 1633 is essential to assess the risk of release to the environment and potential return into raw materials.<\/p>\n\n

\u2013 Prioritizing Matrices and Control Points<\/h3>\n

The second step is selecting priority food matrices. European experience shows that eggs, aquatic products, and liver are more sensitive to the accumulation of certain PFAS because of tissue characteristics. A practical strategy is to plan periodic sampling of layer flocks, aquaculture hatcheries and farms, and livestock slaughterhouses; results should be compared with destination-market limits, and when values approach thresholds, corrective actions should be activated in feed, water, and food-contact materials.<\/p>\n

In packaging, migration from grease-resistant papers and boards was a concern for years; with PFAS exiting this use in the U.S. market, a new benchmark for selecting raw materials has emerged. By implementing quality-assurance programs for PFAS-free food-contact materials and conducting overall and specific migration assessments, domestic producers can reduce the risk of shipment rejections.<\/p>\n

For microplastics, the practical recommendation is to pair particle counting by micro-FTIR or micro-Raman with polymer-mass measurement by Py-GC\/MS or TED-GC\/MS. Sampling design should minimize background contamination using glassware, control filters, and workwear free of synthetic fibers. An operational standards package includes calibration with reference materials, reporting of size distribution and polymer type, and stating measurement uncertainty.<\/p>\n

From an economic perspective, CAPEX and OPEX depend on capacity, raw-water quality, and contaminant composition; however, experience in leading markets shows that combining public budgets with industrial investment and operational service contracts can smooth the financing path. In the United States, beyond targeted funds, a portion of municipal water systems will require corrective action, and granular activated carbon, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis are presented as practical options; these same technologies, at smaller scales, are implementable for food facilities.<\/p>\n

At the governance level, integrating PFAS and microplastic monitoring into HACCP and ISO 22000 programs clarifies critical control points: incoming and process water, high-risk raw materials, food-contact materials, and wastewater. Using a digital dashboard to track time-series results, define internal alert thresholds below legal limits, and link to supplier management provides an integrated, auditable picture. For exports, maintaining verifiable records and referencing international reference methods is key to passing counterpart audits.<\/p>\n

For policymakers, quick and low-cost steps are also available: formally adopting EU definitions and parameters for drinking water, introducing a national monitoring program for priority food matrices, and issuing laboratory technical guidance based on EPA methods and nanogram-per-liter analytical performance requirements. In parallel, expanding the LC-MS\/MS and molecular-spectroscopy laboratory network through public\u2013private partnerships and facilitating the import of reference materials and labeled standards will raise national capacity in a short time.<\/p>\n

Monitoring frequency is best set on a risk basis: monthly testing of incoming water in high-consumption facilities, seasonal in low-consumption units; priority foods every quarter or upon supplier changes; and new packaging at the pre-market stage. Data should be mapped to the reference TWI for PFAS and the EU drinking-water parameters so that total exposure across the farm-to-fork chain remains manageable. This approach targets testing costs and directs resources to the highest-yield control points.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Emerging Contaminants in the Food Industry: PFAS and Microplastics, Limits and Monitoring Today\u2019s food chain faces two groups of emerging<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20409,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[268,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-standards-governance-policy","category-vastra-article"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vastraholding.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}