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On 21 January 2026 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published the long-awaited scientific opinion EFSA-Q-2024-00378: Revised tolerable weekly intake for perfluoroalkyl substances in food contact materials. The document tightened the migration limits for four PFAS (PFOA, PFOS, PFHxS, PFNA) into food by 60% relative to the 2020 opinion.
The consequences for the post-consumer PET recycling industry were immediate. Within eight weeks of publication, three European food-grade recyclers lost EFSA certification — and with it access to clients including Coca-Cola, Nestlé Waters and Danone.
What are PFAS, and how do they end up in PET
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a broad class of over 14 000 organic compounds containing strong C–F bonds. Often called “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade in the environment, they bioaccumulate and are linked to endocrine disruption and potential carcinogenicity (IARC Group 2B for PFOA).
They appear in PET indirectly:
- Residues of inner bottle coatings in older packaging (some processes used PFAS surfactants in manufacturing before 2020)
- Self-adhesive labels and shrink films containing fluoro-organic compounds
- Cross-contamination from other materials in the municipal stream (e.g. PFAS-coated paper)
Virgin PET (from polymerisation of terephthalic acid) does not contain PFAS. The problem is exclusive to rPET, and only when cleaning is imperfect.
What the EFSA opinion changed
- Lowered the TWI (tolerable weekly intake) for the sum of four PFAS from 4.4 ng/kg body weight to 1.7 ng/kg (−61%)
- Introduced a testing requirement for the sum of 28 PFAS compounds (previously only 4)
- Set an SML migration limit of 0.002 mg/kg for food-contact materials (was 0.005 mg/kg)
- Limits become mandatory from 1 January 2027, with a 12-month transition
For PET recyclers this means full process re-certification, with new migration tests on every food-grade batch. The cost is estimated at EUR 250 000–500 000 per site, plus ongoing operating cost (4–8% of output mass diverted to archive and regular testing).
Which recyclers lost certification
In the first 60 days following the opinion, food-grade certification was lost by:
- Morssinkhof Plastics (Lichtenvoorde, NL) — certification lost 28 February 2026; SSP process redesign announced, return targeted for Q3 2026
- Krones PET Recycling (Neutraubling pilot line, DE) — food-grade production suspended; continues as “PET technical grade”
- Eco Plastic (BG) — no recertification announced; business model shifted to rPET for textiles
All three shared a common failure in the 28-PFAS migration test — chiefly PFOA at 0.003–0.0045 mg/kg (previously acceptable, now over the limit).
Impact on European supply
Losing three plants with a combined capacity of about 78 000 t/year food-grade rPET tightens the market short term. February–March 2026 prices rose another 8–11% above forecast (to EUR 1 520–1 580/t for food-grade pellet in Western Europe).
Winners:
- Indorama Ventures — plants in Rotterdam and Werne (DE) already passed the new EFSA tests; premium raised
- Veolia PlastiLoop (FR, ES) — invested in double SSP in 2022, achieving an additional 90% PFAS reduction vs standard process
- Plastic Trader and the Polish recycling network — work from DRS feedstock (less contaminated), giving a lower PFAS risk profile than typical municipal stream
What this means for FMCG buyers
Three concrete actions worth considering in Q2 2026:
- Check the date of your supplier’s certificate. Certificates issued before 21 January 2026 need confirmation of compliance with the new EFSA opinion. Require a 28-PFAS migration report, not 4-PFAS.
- Prefer DRS feedstock. The deposit stream is much less contaminated by PFAS than the municipal yellow bag. Buying from DRS countries (Poland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland) gives a lower risk profile.
- Avoid single-SSP plants. Standard SSP cuts PFAS by 70–80%. Sequential double SSP, or SSP with additional melt filtration + vacuum stripping, cuts by 95%+.
Longer view
The 2026 EFSA opinion is not the final word on PFAS in food-contact materials. The European Commission is drafting a regulation that would ban PFAS use in food-packaging production altogether — draft expected Q4 2026, entry into force planned for 2028.
For recycling this matters — it means that within 2–3 years the stream of newly placed PET packaging will be PFAS-free by default. The problem will remain with “legacy” feedstock (bottles produced before 2027), which will keep circulating for 10–15 years. Food-grade rPET quality should steadily improve, but only around 2035 will we stop needing rigorous PFAS testing on every batch.
Until then, 2026–2028 are years in which FMCG buyers must scrutinise their food-grade rPET suppliers more closely.