FDA rejects petition to set PFAS limits in food, citing insufficient evidence
8 reported2 unconfirmed
The US Food and Drug Administration has rejected a legal petition demanding it set limits on toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in food, according to a report from The Guardian. The petition was filed in November 2023 by the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force (TEJTF), which later scaled back its request in 2025 to ask for advisory thresholds for PFOA and PFOS in seafood and milk. The FDA stated it plans to take action on setting standards for PFAS but found “insufficient evidence to support [TEJTF’s] request.” The agency plans to set non-binding “action levels” rather than “tolerance levels” that would make it illegal to sell contaminated food. TEJTF attorney Sandra Daussin called the decision “disappointing” and said the group plans to sue to force the FDA to set thresholds. The article notes that the Environmental Protection Agency has found food is the biggest source of PFAS exposure, and recent FDA testing found 70% of seafood samples contain the chemicals.
What’s reported
The FDA rejected a legal petition from the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force (TEJTF) to set limits on PFAS in food.
The petition was originally filed in November 2023 and scaled back in 2025 to request advisory thresholds for PFOA and PFOS in seafood and milk.
The FDA stated there is “insufficient evidence to support [TEJTF’s] request” and plans to set non-binding “action levels” instead of binding “tolerance levels.”
TEJTF attorney Sandra Daussin said the group plans to sue to ask a court to order the FDA to set thresholds.
Recent FDA testing found 70% of seafood samples contain PFAS, and independent milk testing found it in 12% of 50 samples, including high levels in Whole Foods and Kirkland Signature brands.
PFAS are linked to cancer, birth defects, decreased immunity, high cholesterol, kidney disease, and other health problems.
The EPA has found food is the biggest source of PFAS exposure.
The FDA only conducts limited annual testing and in 2019 adjusted its methodology to only catch what consumer groups say are extremely high contamination levels.
Open questions
What specific “action levels” the FDA plans to set and when they will be implemented.
Whether a court will order the FDA to set binding thresholds as TEJTF requests.
Key figures
Sandra Daussin, attorney for the Tucson Environmental Justice Task Force (TEJTF)
Robert F Kennedy Jr, leads the “make America healthy again” (Maha) movement
Brian Ronholm, former deputy under secretary of food safety at the US Department of Agriculture
Sources: The Guardian
