The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially rejected a legal petition demanding strict limits on toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in food.
The decision represents a major setback for public health advocates seeking to reduce human exposure to these synthetic compounds.
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The federal agency refused to set safety thresholds despite scientific research indicating that food is the primary source of PFAS exposure.
Testing has shown that PFAS levels in single servings of certain contaminated foods equal the amount found in multiple glasses of contaminated water.
Petition Filed by Environmental Justice Group
The petition was filed in November 2023 by the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force (TEJTF).
The group is now planning to sue and request a court order forcing the FDA to establish thresholds.
Sandra Daussin, an attorney for TEJTF, expressed disappointment.
“If it’s important enough to regulate in water then we need to regulate it in food – that’s a no-brainer,” she said.
PFAS are a class of at least 16,000 synthetic compounds used to make products water, stain, and grease resistant.
Medical studies link them to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, and kidney disease.
The original petition urged the FDA to test for up to 30 PFAS compounds in produce, fish, eggs, milk, and bread.
After the agency failed to respond within six months, TEJTF scaled back the request in 2025, asking only for advisory thresholds for PFOA and PFOS in seafood and milk.
