PFAS in Food and Consumer Products 

Per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of man‑made chemicals valued for their resistance to heat, water, and oil. These properties have driven their widespread use in stain‑resistant textiles, non‑stick cookware, personal care products, and water‑repellent clothing. PFAS can also enter the food system through grease‑resistant packaging, molded fiber containers, and certain processing equipment. Their persistence in the environment and presence across consumer goods, packaging, and food emphasize the need to understand how PFAS move through the supply chain and contribute to human and ecological exposure. 

Monitoring PFAS in food and consumer products requires highly sensitive analytical methods capable of measuring very low concentrations. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‑MS/MS) with isotope dilution remains the gold standard for quantifying targeted PFAS compounds. Broader screening approaches, such as the total oxidizable precursors (TOP) assay and organic fluorine analyses, help identify precursor compounds and total fluorine content. High‑resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is increasingly important for detecting and confirming unknown, non‑target PFAS across diverse sample matrices. Combined, these techniques support accurate exposure assessment and inform strategies to reduce PFAS in products and foods. 

SGS provides one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of PFAS testing services for food, packaging, and consumer products. Capabilities include targeted PFAS quantification via isotope‑dilution LC‑MS/MS, total and organic fluorine testing using combustion ion chromatography (CIC), and newly validated HRMS methods for non‑target PFAS. As the developer and validator of the U.S. EPA’s PFAS method 1633, SGS is recognized as a global leader in PFAS analysis.

With expanding capacity and tailored solutions for multiple sectors, SGS supports organizations in meeting evolving regulatory requirements, minimizing PFAS contamination, and ensuring product safety and compliance worldwide. 

For more information on how these updates impact you, contact our experts today. 

Stay tuned! Click on  SGS PFAS/emerging contaminants analysis capabilities, and see why SGS delivers what you need every step of way.  

US Policy News  

Court Denies EPA’s Motion to Sever and Stay Challenges to MCLs for Four Index PFAS

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit denied EPA’s request to sever and stay challenges to drinking water standards, known as MCLs, for four PFAS (PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO‑DA, and mixtures of any of these three plus PFBS).

US News by State 

Virginia 

Virginia lawmakers reach agreement for first steps to monitor PFAS in biosolids

A compromise has been reached on how Virginia can begin to monitor the presence of “forever chemicals,” in biosolids that are used as fertilizers on farms across the commonwealth. 

Ohio 

Dayton sues Wright-Patterson AFB to pay more than $300M to remove PFAS from city water

The city of Dayton anticipates spending hundreds of millions of dollars to remove PFAS from its drinking water. The lawsuit filed by the city of Dayton is the latest in five years of legal disputes with the Department of Defense and Wright-Patt over PFAS. 

Alabama 

Florence to spend $135M to address “forever chemicals”

Florence is making strides towards meeting a federal mandate requiring U.S. water systems to test and treat water for “forever chemicals”. 

California 

A surprising percentage of produce from the nation’s largest supplier contains ‘forever’ pesticides

Nearly 40% of nonorganic fruits and vegetables grown in California contain traces of pesticides that by some definitions are considered PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” according to a new investigation. 

California supplies nearly half of the vegetables, and more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts eaten in the United States. 

Wisconsin 

Wisconsin Senate unanimously passes PFAS legislation 

The Wisconsin Senate unanimously passed legislation that, once signed, will release $125 million set aside nearly three years ago to address PFAS contamination in the state’s water supplies.  

Canada News

UBC study links artificial turf fields to lethal chemical threat for salmon 

A new study from the University of British Columbia has found that artificial turf fields across Metro Vancouver leach 6PPD-quinone, a chemical already known to kill coho salmon, into municipal stormwater systems—and the contamination persists long after the fields are installed. 

Researchers traced the pollution to crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires, a material widely used on synthetic turf fields. The team found it consistently released 6PPD-quinone and other contaminants across fields of different ages. 

Global News

Every NSW waterway contaminated with microplastics, study finds 

Every waterway sampled in New South Wales is contaminated with microplastics, according to a major state government report. The Broadscale Microplastic Assessment of NSW Estuaries, conducted between 2021 and 2024, sampled 120 waterways, from remote rivers to urban estuaries. About 19 per cent of waterways were given an “E” rating, the worst grade, for severe contamination. 

PFAS detected in 99 percent of all Swiss soils 

PFAS are found throughout Switzerland, but elevated levels are only found at specific locations. A new evaluation combines over a thousand measurements of PFAS contamination in Swiss soils and thus provides a more accurate picture of the pollution situation.