Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in wine - How does the chemical get into the glass? Is there a health risk?

Trifluoroacetic acid or trifluoroacetate (TFA) is a short-chain perfluorocarboxylic acid and is the smallest compound in the group of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS). PFAS are industrial chemicals that are used in numerous industrial processes and consumer products due to their special technical properties. TFA is very stable, persistent and long-lasting. 

TFA can form as a transformation product of many PFAS and can thus enter the environment as a transformation product of various pesticide active substances and fluorinated refrigerants and propellants, among other things. Due to the widespread use of PFAS and due to its persistence and high mobility, TFA is present everywhere in the environment: in water, in soil and also in plants. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment currently has no information on the sources of the reported concentrations of TFA in wine. 

In sufficiently high concentrations, TFA can cause severe skin burns, eye damage and harmful effects when inhaled. In addition, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment assesses TFA as reprotoxic. It should be noted that this classification is purely a hazard classification. It says nothing about actual health risks, as the amount of the substance ingested is also decisive (exposureClose dialogexposureExposureTo glossary).

The reproductive toxicity effect was detected in animal models at TFA concentrations that are significantly higher than the concentrations in the environment. According to latest data, no impairments to health are  to be expected if water or food contaminated with TFA is consumed.

The average concentration of TFA in the measured wine samples was 0.122 milligrams (mgshort formilligram) per litre (l), the highest value was 0.320 mgshort formilligram/l. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment does not have enough data to assess the reliability and representativeness of the measurements.

According to BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment estimates, a person with a body weight of 60 kilograms (kgshort forkilogram) would have to drink at least 9 l of wine a day in order to exceed the health-based guidance value of TFA of 0.05 mgshort formilligram per kgshort forkilogram body weight (i.e. ADIshort forAcceptable Daily Intake, Acceptable Daily Intake, and ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose, Acute Reference Dose), based on the highest measured value.

Wine contains ethanol, a neurotoxic and carcinogenic substance. Anyone who nevertheless consumes alcoholic beverages should above all replace high amounts of alcohol. This applies in particular to young people. Children, adolescents, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should generally avoid alcohol External Link:(https://www.dge.de/fileadmin/Bilder/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/DGEPosition_Alkohol_EU_2024_10.pdf). The German Nutrition Society (DGE) considers the regular consumption of more than 81 grams of alcohol per week to pose an increased health risk. This is roughly equivalent to the amount of alcohol contained in a bottle of wine. In relation to the 9 l of wine listed in the previous answer - which a person with a body weight of 60 kgshort forkilogram would have to drink at least once a day to exceed the health-based guidance value of TFA - it can be assumed that the potential health risk of TFA in this scenario is negligible compared to the toxicity of alcohol.

As part of the review of the approval of the substance flufenacet, an acceptable daily intake (ADIshort forAcceptable Daily Intake) of 0.05 mgshort formilligram per kgshort forkilogram of body weight was derived for TFA. An acute reference dose (ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose) was not considered necessary by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority) as part of this procedure. In accordance with the current scientific and technical knowledge, the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment agrees with EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority's assessment regarding the ADIshort forAcceptable Daily Intake, but considers it necessary to derive an ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose (Acute Reference Dose) as well. The ADIshort forAcceptable Daily Intake indicates the amount of a substance that can be ingested orally on a daily basis over a lifetime without any recognisable health risk (lifetime exposure). The ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose, on the other hand, indicates the estimated maximum amount of a substance that can be ingested with food over the course of a day at one or more meals without recognisable health risk (one-time very high exposure). In the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment's view, the ARfDshort forAcute Reference Dose is currently also 0.05 mgshort formilligram per kgshort forkilogram of body weight. The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment assesses TFA as reprotoxic. Responsible national and international scientific institutions and authorities are currently working on this substance on an interdisciplinary basis.

At the request of the European Commission, EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority is currently reviewing the health-based guidance values for TFAs. EFSAshort forEuropean Food Safety Authority is carrying out this review together with the Member States and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHAshort forEuropean Chemicals Agency), which is responsible for the classification of the chemical properties of TFA (https://www.efsa.europa.eu/de/topics/per-and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas). The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment will update its assessment if new findings emerge.