FDA Is a No on Petition to Set PFAS Limits for Food

Americans worried about "forever chemicals" in their food just hit a wall at the FDA. The federal agency under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has refused a petition asking it to set enforceable limits on a group of chemicals known as PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in items like seafood and milk, despite mounting research and the EPA's view that food is a major exposure source, reports the Guardian. The Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force, which filed the petition, plans to file a lawsuit to force thresholds, arguing that if PFAS in water is regulated, food should be, too.

Recent FDA tests found PFAS in 70% of sampled seafood, while independent testing detected it in some milk, produce, and beer. The FDA says it will pursue nonbinding "action levels" instead of legal limits, citing "insufficient evidence" for stricter standards in its response letter—an approach that critics say leaves consumers exposed to a pervasive class of chemicals linked to cancer and other health problems. Last month on its website, the agency insisted that if it discovers "that the level of PFAS in food may render it injurious to health, we take action, which may include working with the manufacturer to resolve the issue and taking steps to prevent the product from entering, or remaining in, the US market."