PFAS Regulations and Guidance

Staying ahead of the regulations

New European Union (EU) and national regulations on PFAS in the environment and food are evolving rapidly. The European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA’s) 2020 TWI value for PFAS4 has driven the introduction of lower guideline and limit values, sometimes approaching background levels due to PFAS's widespread use.

Exposure through food, water, and products remains only partly understood, which is also important for contaminated land risk assessments. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD’s) 2021 PFAS definition has broadened the scope of PFAS regulation and underpins proposed ECHA bans on firefighting foams and PFAS as a group.

Keeping up with stringent and evolving regulations can be challenging. We can keep you informed of current and forthcoming changes to food regulations through our consultancy horizon scanning services. Below is a brief overview of current relevant regulations*

Global (Stockholm & OECD)

PFAS regulation is evolving internationally through scientific and legal consensus; key frameworks include

• “OECD 2021 PFAS definition”; a broadened, internationally recognised definition

• While not PFAS-specific, the Stockholm Convention drives global control of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), informing broader chemical policy; see the list of proposed POPs on the ECHA portal

European Union (EU)

EU-wide regulation integrates scientific guidance with binding limits; current instruments include

• EFSA 2020 Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI);  sets intake limit of 4.4 ng/kg body weight for PFAS4 (PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS)

• Regulation (EU) 2023/915 on maximum levels for certain contaminants in food; establishes maximum levels for PFAS4 in food

• Directive (EU) 2020/2184; PFAS limits in drinking water, with 0.5 µg/L total PFAS and 0.1 µg/L sum of 20 priority PFAS (binding from 2026)

• Recommendation (EU) 2022/1431; advises broader PFAS monitoring across foods

• Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1428; sets harmonised sampling and analytical methods for PFAS in food

• Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR, Regulation (EU) 2025/40); restricts PFAS in food contact materials from August 2026

• ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) proposals; under development, including group-wide PFAS restrictions (Joint PFAS restriction proposal) and bans on PFAS foams 

• Proposal amending Water Directives; adds PFAS to priority hazardous substances list

Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)

GB follows a combination of retained EU law and national guidance

• There are no binding PFAS limits in domestic legislation yet; instead, the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) PFAS and Forever Chemicals current guidance recommends a guideline of 0.1 µg/L sum of 48 PFAS in drinking water and expects monitoring and risk-based reporting

• Eurofins supports compliance with the science behind DWI guidelines and anticipates upcoming standards urging early readiness

Northern Ireland (NI)

• NI remains aligned with EU PFAS rules under the Northern Ireland Protocol; familiar standards apply

• EU food and water PFAS regulations; such as Regulation 2023/915 and Directive 2020/2184; all remain applicable in Northern Ireland

• Businesses providing testing services in NI follow EU compliance supported through Eurofins’ EU-aligned methods

United States examples

• National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR); enforceable standards for six PFAS, with deadlines extended to 2031 (epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas)

• CERCLA hazardous substance designation for PFOA and PFOS; strengthens polluter accountability (epa.gov/pfas/key-epa-actions-address-pfas)

• UCMR 5 monitoring rule; 29 PFAS monitored across public water supplies (epa.gov/dwucmr/fifth-unregulated-contaminant-monitoring-rule)

• State-level PFAS regulations; stricter standards and product bans in some states

EU National examples

In addition to EU regulations, some EU Member States have introduced their own national measures. Here are a few examples; to ensure compliance with all applicable legislation, please consult our food testing experts

• Sweden – LIVSFS 2022:12; national PFAS food limits

• Sweden – SGU environmental PFAS monitoring rules

• Denmark – BEK nr 1023 af 25/08/2023; PFAS ban in paper and cardboard food contact materials 

• Netherlands – national PFAS measures

• Belgium – regional PFAS action plans exist

• Germany

  • Phased implementation of PFAS4 0.02 µg/L drinking water limit; full limit applies from 2028 instead of 2026 as in the EU Directive (recht.bund.de/bgbl/1/2023/159/regelungstext.pdf)

  • UBA national PFAS guidance for environmental monitoring (soil, groundwater) and recommended screening programmes (search)

• France

  • Extra national monitoring obligations for raw and treated water; some supply zones must complete PFAS testing earlier than the EU Drinking Water Directive deadline

  • National order on PFAS analysis in industrial discharges; requires testing and reporting for specific industrial sectors

Additional useful links

• ECHA – Understanding POPs

• EFSA – PFAS in food

• OECD – PFAS definition and risk management 

*Note: Regulations are subject to change, particularly in areas such as PFAS where legislation is evolving rapidly. The information provided here is for general guidance only and was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Eurofins accepts no responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, or ongoing validity of this information.

For up-to-date regulatory requirements relevant to your target market, please contact your local Eurofins laboratory. Our specialists can provide tailored support through our horizon scanning and food safety consultancy services.

Contact us

To arrange testing or learn more about our PFAS testing and consultancy services contact your local food testing laboratory; submit an enquiry or call +44 (0) 845 604 6740.