The 2019 National Residue Control Plan collected samples of sheep and beef liver to complete a report on Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) concentrations. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection spearheaded the report with the goal of generating a comprehensive analysis of PFAS concentrations in industrialized food supplies.
The BfR has analyzed the data with PFAS concentrations in sheep and beef liver samples sourced from the food control programs of various German federal states. These samples were acquired between 2007 to 2020. The BfR concludes that the concentrations of PFAS in sheep and beef liver detected in Lower Saxony do not differ significantly from the concentrations known from the investigations undertaken by the other federal states. In order to assess the health risks posed by the PFAS concentrations in sheep and beef liver, the BfR used more comprehensive data from the federal states.
The BfR concluded that sheep or beef liver with the identified concentrations can significantly contribute to the total intake of PFAS in individuals who consume these foods. PFAS are also ingested through many other kinds of foods. At least in the case of high intakes of sheep or bovine liver, this source of exposure can lead to comparatively high exhaustion (up to the limit) of the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for a single food, especially for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). The exhaustion of the TWI for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, EFSA 2018) by consumption of sheep or bovine liver is lower compared to the exhaustion of the TWI for PFOS. The health effects of PFAS include liver lesions, and kidney damage, immune dysfunction, and reproductive harm.