Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in food: What are the health risks?

Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acid and the smallest compound in the group of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS). PFAS are industrial chemicals that are used in numerous industrial processes and consumer products due to their specific technical properties. TFA belongs to the group of ultra-short-chain PFAS and contains three fluorine atoms. It is very stable, difficult to degrade and long-lasting. 

Many PFAS are broken down into TFA. Source materials containing PFAS, from which TFA is formed and released into the environment, are found, for example, in fluorinated refrigerants and propellants, medicines for humans and animals, and plant protection products (PPP). Due to the widespread use of PFAS, as well as its persistence and high mobility, TFA has been detected throughout the environment, in water bodies, rainwater, soil and also in plants.

Its stability, mobility and widespread prevalence enable TFA to be transported via the water cycle into our food. For example, TFA seeps into the soil with rainwater or through irrigation and may be taken up by plant roots. TFA has also been measured in drinking water.

The media have reported findings of TFA in various foods, e.g. fruit, vegetables, wine, cereal products and drinking water. To date, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment does not have sufficient data to assess a scientifically sound health risk arising from TFA in food. In response to enquiries from the public, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment has carried out initial assessments based on the published figures (see links in the box below). As measurement methods continue to be refined, the data on TFA in food will expand. Furthermore, it should be noted that TFA originates from many different sources and can enter food via various routes. 

TFA is taken up via food or drinking water and is excreted unchanged by humans. The half-life of TFA in humans has been reported as two to three days. This means that within approximately two to three days, half of the TFA taken up is excreted. In the case of TFA, this occurs primarily via the kidneys. 

Maximum residue levels are the maximum permitted levels of a pesticide or its breakdown product(s) in food. No maximum residue levels have yet been set for TFA. As the potential sources of TFA are very diverse, it remains to be seen on what basis maximum residue levels will be set and whether monitoring data will first be collected in the Member States.

Nor are any maximum levels for TFA currently set out in the EU Contaminants Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/915). The Regulation establishes binding maximum levels for certain contaminants in food.

No, to date, TFA is not routinely tested for in food monitoring. Furthermore, their detection is challenging. In future, the topic of ‘TFA in plant-based foods’ will be addressed in food monitoring. Initially, the focus will be primarily on foods that are important for a healthy diet. In addition, within this framework, the methods for determining TFA are to be further developed, validated in laboratories and established.

TFA in food is often determined using the Quick Polar Pesticides Method method (External Link:https://www.quppe.eu/). In this process, TFA is extracted from the sample material, then separated using liquid chromatography and detected and quantified by mass spectrometry. Depending on the type of sample, the limits of quantification (LOQs) range from 0.01 to 0.05 milligrams per kilogram of food. 

Measuring TFA at trace levels is challenging, as it is a small, polar molecule that is difficult to separate from other components in the sample. Furthermore, the widespread prevalence of TFA means that solvents and chemicals often contain traces of TFA, which places particular demands on the analytical method, especially when determining low concentrations.

According to current data, no health effects are to be expected at the currently known concentrations of TFA in drinking water or food.

In high concentrations, TFA can cause severe skin burns, eye damage and adverse health effects if inhaled (this relates to intake via the skin and the respiratory tract, not via food). Furthermore, the Committee for Risk Assessment of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHAshort forEuropean Chemicals Agency) and the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment classify TFA as a reproductive toxin, it may damage the unborn child and is suspected of damaging fertility. It should be noted that this is purely a hazard classification. This does not, in itself, indicate actual health risks, as these are generally determined by the intake of the substance (exposureClose dialogexposureExposureTo glossary). The reproductive toxicity (hazard to reproduction) was only detected in animal models at TFA amounts significantly higher than those found in the environment. 

At the request of the European Commission, EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority has reviewed the health-based guidance values (HBGVshort forHealth-Based Guidance Value) for TFA. The assessment was carried out in collaboration with the Member States and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHAshort forEuropean Chemicals Agency). The ECHAshort forEuropean Chemicals Agency is responsible for the classification of the chemical hazards of TFA (External Link:https://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/topics/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas). 

In its new assessment, EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority has lowered the guidance values for TFA in food. The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADIshort forAcceptable Daily Intake) has been reduced from 0.05 mgshort formilligram per kilogram of body weight (mgshort formilligram/kgshort forkilogram bw/d) to 0.014 mgshort formilligram/kgshort forkilogram bw/d. The ADIshort forAcceptable Daily Intake refers to the amount of a substance that can be ingested in the diet on a daily basis throughout a person’s lifetime without any appreciable health risk (lifetime exposure). In addition, an acute reference dose (ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose) of 0.07 mgshort formilligram/kgshort forkilogram bw has been established. The ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose indicates the estimated maximum amount of a substance that can be taken up over the course of a single day with one or more meals without any appreciable health risk (single, very high exposure). The current EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority assessment forms the basis for future risk assessments of TFA in food. 

For the hazard classification of TFA, the Federal Office for Chemicals (BfC), in collaboration with the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and the Federal Environment Agency (UBAshort forGerman Environment Agency), submitted a dossier on harmonised classification (CLH dossier) to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHAshort forEuropean Chemicals Agency) in May 2025 (see link in the box below). The BfC is part of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and is the competent German authority for the European REACH Regulation and the Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP Regulation). The Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP Regulation) governs the classification, labelling and packaging of hazardous substances. The CLH dossier has been  in review by ECHA’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) since November 2025.

The RAC publicly discussed the German CLH dossier on TFA in early June 2026 and agreed to the classification with Rep. 1B (H360Df; reproductive toxicity) and Acute Tox. 3 (H331; acute toxicity by inhalation) and Acute Tox. 4 (H302; acute toxicity following ingestion) (as per the minutes of the 77th meeting). The RAC thus largely concurs with the assessment carried out by the German authorities. (External Link:https://echa.europa.eu/documents/d/guest/rac77_final_minutes_en)

The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment assumes that the final RAC opinion (RAC-Opinion) on TFA (which has not yet been published) will not change. However, the harmonised classification will only become legally binding once it has been implemented in the ATPFootnote1Show (including transition periods).