Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS)
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS) are a group of more than 10,000 estimated substances that are used in packaging, for example, due to their surface activity and thus their grease and water-repellent properties as well as their heat stability, but are also used as process aids and polymerization aids, surfactants, sealants or in paints. As they are not easily biodegradable, they are also referred to as "eternity chemicals". Some of these substances are absorbed by humans through food or drinking water. Of the relatively few well-studied PFAS, most are considered to be moderately to highly toxic, especially for children's development. In 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) re-evaluated the diverse evidence on the toxicity of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and in 2020 set tolerable weekly intake (TWI) limits of 4.4 ng/kg body weight per day in some foods. The assessment concluded that a significant proportion of the European population is likely to exceed the TWI limit due to the intake of PFAS through food and drinking water.