The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking the seafood industry, academia, and other relevant parties for more information on perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in seafood.
“This request is part of our continued work to increase our understanding of the potential for PFAS exposure from seafood and to reduce dietary exposure to PFAS that may pose a health concern,” the FDA said in a recent update.
PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used in a wide range of consumer and industrial products. They do not easily break down, and some types have been shown to accumulate in the environment and in human bodies, with potentially harmful impacts. Studies have linked PFAS build-up in humans to cancer, liver, and kidney harm, damage to human reproductive and immune systems, and other diseases.
The FDA request for information is an opportunity for interested entities in the seafood industry, academia, and state and other federal agencies to help address existing data gaps, advance FDA’s public health mission, and further support the agency’s “comprehensive approach to addressing PFAS and advancing clean air, water, and food,” the agency said.
Though FDA research has previously identified high levels of PFAS in certain canned clams from China – which led to a subsequent recall of those products by Bumble Bee and Crown Prince – data on PFAS in many other seafood types is limited, the administration said.
The FDA said its testing indicates that seafood may be at higher risk for environmental PFAS contamination compared with other types of foods.
The call for information from the FDA comes after a study earlier this year found significant amounts of PFAS in 26 different seafood species, including cod, haddock, lobster, salmon, scallop, shrimp, and tuna.
The researchers examined seafood for sale at a seafood market in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S.A., which sourced the products from a range of locations, and found several different PFAS compounds. Shrimp and lobster showed the highest levels of PFAS compounds, with average concentrations reaching up to 1.74 and 3.30 nanograms per gram of flesh.
“Addressing potential effects of Americans’ PFAS exposure is a national priority and is coordinated across several federal agencies. Through these interagency collaborations, we are working to identify routes of PFAS exposure, understand associated health risks, and reduce the public’s dietary exposure to PFAS that may pose health concerns,” the FDA said. “We will continue to apply the latest science to increase our understanding of the levels of PFAS in seafood and the reasons for differences within and across types of seafood and to help identify strategies that can reduce PFAS in seafood.”
Those interested in assisting the FDA can submit written or electronic comments by 18 February 2025.
