The European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers (EFFOP) submitted a comprehensive dataset profiling Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in fishmeal to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in direct response to the Call for continuous collection of chemical contaminants occurrence data in food and feed.
EFFOP has shared a robust dataset comprising data from 175 distinct fishmeal batches. EFFOP engaged proactively with journalists, policymakers, scientists, and the public, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the implications surrounding PFAS contamination.
“The significance of EFSA’s role in upholding food and feed safety cannot be overstated. The dataset shared by EFFOP will be a foundational resource for well-informed risk assessments, laying the groundwork for risk management strategies concerning future PFAS levels in feed. Notably, EFFOP’s investigation stands as the most extensive of its kind to date in monitoring PFAS levels within fishmeal. This is particularly vital due to the dearth of comprehensive data, especially within the European context,” EFFOP stated.
The data underscores that PFAS levels within European fishmeal exhibit strong context-specific variation, influenced by factors such as species and spatial-temporal dynamics. Noteworthy is the calculated average across the 175 samples, which stands at 4.6 ng/g, comfortably within the EU limit of 8 ng/g applicable to most marine fish species.
A recent Danish study claimed fishmeal as the source of PFAS in chicken eggs and EFFOP announced at that time that they were establishing a database to map the PFAS profile of EU fishmeal batches.
“This data submission marks a significant stride forward in our ongoing efforts to comprehensively understand and mitigate the impact of PFAS in fishmeal. Through collective and diligent endeavors, we are actively shaping a more informed and responsible approach to addressing this challenge. As an additional quality parameter, PFAS levels are now routinely assessed for each fishmeal batch by producers and are available upon customer request,” EFFOP concluded.
