PFAS Testing

QACSFOOD laboratories provide specialized analyses on materials that come into contact with food, checking for perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS belong to a family of thousands of compounds characterized by their long-term persistence in the environment due to the strong bond between carbon and fluorine, earning them the title of ‘forever chemicals‘.

Understanding the Importance of PFAS Testing is crucial for ensuring the safety and compliance of your products, protecting both your brand reputation and consumer health. Although PFAS can be detected and used in a wide variety of everyday products, their use in packaging materials, specifically in food packaging and non-stick cookware, imparts non-stick properties and high resistance to high temperatures. However, the need to limit their use, assess them, and control their presence is increasing, primarily to protect consumers’ health from daily exposure.

QACSFOOD, following the new European regulatory requirements, and in particular Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, performs PFAS determination analyses in packaging materials intended to come into contact with food. These analyses aim at the identification and quantification of an extensive list of individual PFAS compounds, which is continuously updated in line with scientific developments and regulatory requirements. For paper and cardboard packaging materials, PFAS determination is performed using an accredited analytical method, ensuring the reliability of the results.

Additionally, Total Fluorine (TF – Total Fluorine) determination is performed, providing an overall assessment of the fluorinated compound content in the materials. These controls support the evaluation of compliance of packaging materials with the established limits under European legislation, assisting businesses in documenting the safety and regulatory compliance of their products.