Press Release: EFSA opinion on two environmental pollutants (PFOS and PFOA) present in food

The Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), on 21 July 2008, issued an opinion on two environmentally-persistent chemical compounds – perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – which are, increasingly, being found in the environment. According to the Panel, food, in particular fish and fishery products seem to be a significant source of exposure to these contaminants. For PFOA, other non-food sources, such as indoor air pollution, also contribute to total exposure.