Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a new import alert for human food products with detectable levels of chemical contaminants that may present a safety concern to human health. The Import Alert 99-48, Detention without Physical Examination of Foods Due to Chemical Contamination, gives the FDA the ability to help prevent entry of human food products into the U.S. if they are found to be contaminated with a broad range of human-made chemicals including benzene, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), among others.
PFAS are a diverse group of thousands of chemicals used in many different types of products. PFAS in the environment can enter the food supply through plants and animals grown, raised, or processed in contaminated areas. It is also possible for very small amounts of certain PFAS to enter foods through food packaging, processing, and cookware. As the FDA continues to update and enhance our approach and process for evaluating and monitoring chemicals, this Import Alert is one of the tools we can employ in our commitment to reducing harmful exposure to chemical contaminants like PFAS in the food supply.
The FDA generally has taken the approach of assessing, on a case-by-case basis, whether the type and level of a chemical contaminant found in food may pose a health concern, such that the food is considered to be adulterated in that the levels may pose a risk to human health. To make that determination, the FDA considers factors including, but not limited to, whether there is an established action level or tolerance, how much of the food people typically eat, the level of the contaminant detected in that food, and the toxicity of the specific contaminant(s). Read More→
