Taiwan Proposes Draft Regulation Establishing PFAS Handling Standards and Maximum Limits in Foods

"Taiwan has released a draft Handling Regulation for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Foods, proposing explicit maximum limits for four priority PFAS substances—perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS)—with both individual limits and a cumulative limit for the sum of the four substances. 
For livestock and poultry products, the proposed limits for cattle, pig, and poultry muscle are 0.30 µg/kg for PFOS, 0.80 µg/kg for PFOA, 0.20 µg/kg for PFNA, and 0.20 µg/kg for PFHxS, with a combined limit of 1.3 µg/kg. For sheep muscle, the limits are 1.0 µg/kg for PFOS, 0.20 µg/kg for PFOA, 0.20 µg/kg for PFNA, and 0.20 µg/kg for PFHxS, with a total limit of 1.6 µg/kg. Edible offal from cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry is subject to higher limits of 6.0 µg/kg PFOS, 0.70 µg/kg PFOA, 0.40 µg/kg PFNA, and 0.50 µg/kg PFHxS, with a combined limit of 8.0 µg/kg. For other wild animals (excluding bears), muscle meat may contain up to 5.0 µg/kg PFOS, 3.5 µg/kg PFOA, 1.5 µg/kg PFNA, and 0.60 µg/kg PFHxS, with a total limit of 9.0 µg/kg, while edible offal from these animals is permitted up to 50 µg/kg PFOS, 25 µg/kg PFOA, 45 µg/kg PFNA, and 3.0 µg/kg PFHxS, subject to a combined limit of 50 µg/kg.

For fish and aquatic products, the draft differentiates limits by species. Designated fish species listed under Category 2.1 are subject to limits of 7.0 µg/kg PFOS, 1.0 µg/kg PFOA, 2.5 µg/kg PFNA, and 0.20 µg/kg PFHxS, with a combined limit of 8.0 µg/kg. Designated fish species under Category 2.2 have higher thresholds of 35 µg/kg PFOS, 8.0 µg/kg PFOA, 8.0 µg/kg PFNA, and 1.5 µg/kg PFHxS, with a total limit of 45 µg/kg. All other fish species, as well as all fish used as raw materials for infant and young children foods, are subject to stricter limits of 2.0 µg/kg PFOS, 0.20 µg/kg PFOA, 0.50 µg/kg PFNA, and 0.20 µg/kg PFHxS, with a combined limit of 2.0 µg/kg.

For crustaceans, the maximum limits for edible muscle (including appendages but excluding the cephalothorax) are 3.0 µg/kg PFOS, 0.70 µg/kg PFOA, 1.0 µg/kg PFNA, and 1.5 µg/kg PFHxS, with a combined limit of 5.0 µg/kg. The same limits apply to edible muscle of bivalve mollusks, including scallops, where the limits apply to the adductor muscle and gonads. For eggs, the draft proposes limits of 1.0 µg/kg PFOS, 0.30 µg/kg PFOA, 0.70 µg/kg PFNA, and 0.30 µg/kg PFHxS, with a total limit of 1.7 µg/kg.

According to the draft regulation, foods exceeding either the individual PFAS limits or the combined PFAS limit would be classified as containing substances harmful to human health under the Food Safety and Sanitation Management Act. Non-compliant products would be subject to seizure and destruction, while foods suspected of sharing a common PFAS contamination source could be sealed or detained pending investigation. The draft also establishes mandatory inter-agency notification procedures and requires public risk communication where PFAS contamination may affect consumer health or food safety.

The proposal reflects Taiwan’s move toward risk-based management of persistent environmental contaminants in foods, aligning domestic controls with international scientific assessments of PFAS dietary exposure."