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Summer has finally arrived in the Northern hemisphere – with the terraces of bars and restaurants buzzing and cold drinks on many tables.
Whether we are raising glasses of rosé in a vineyard in France or enjoying a lager in a casual street restaurant in China, it is likely that the last thing on many people’s minds is the chemical risks from their beverage. Unless you work in food science, then it might actually be the first thing.
Well, I have some news for you. Science has spoken again and found persistent environmental chemicals, in particular one substance trending in beverages recently. A member of the PFAS family, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), is showing up in our drinks and, worse, those of our children.
The rise of TFA in European wines
A recent report by the Pesticide Action Network Europe revealed a dramatic rise in TFA levels in European wines. Researchers analyzed bottles from ten EU countries and found that wines from vintages between 2021 and 2024 contained average TFA concentrations of 122 μg/L, with some samples peaking above 300 μg/L.
In stark contrast, wines bottled before 1988 showed no detectable TFA. This suggests a relatively recent contamination trend – one that’s quite likely linked to modern agricultural practices.
It is worth noting that the TFA levels in wine were several orders of magnitude higher than those typically found in background water.
Fruit juice and children
From fermented grape juice, it is not far-fetched to also question other fruit products, especially with children in mind or those of us who are not fond of alcoholic beverages. Eurofins recently did exactly that and found that intake calculations for children of around 10 kg using current tolerable daily intake estimates suggest a significant exposure.
When TFA is included in a weighted sum of PFAS that is compared to EFSA’s TWI value (Tolerable weekly intake) a 10 kg child could drink 92 ml “average” orange juice per day to reach the limit. Assuming that this calculation assumes no further PFAS exposure, which we know is very unlikely.
So, where is all the TFA coming from?
The data points to a strong correlation between TFA levels and synthetic pesticides. Wines with higher TFA concentrations also contained more pesticide residues. This supports the growing body of evidence that PFAS-based pesticides are a major source of TFA in crops. PFAS compounds degrade into TFA under environmental conditions, and once TFA is formed, it’s here to stay, making its way up the food chain.
Ultra-short chain, ultra-persistent
TFA belongs to a group of ultra-short chain PFAS, which includes compounds with just one to three perfluorinated carbon atoms:
Ultra-short chain perfluorocarboxylic acids
Trifluoracetic acid (TFA)
Perfluoropropanoic acid (PFPrA)
Ultra-short chain perfluorosulfonic acids
Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TFMS)
Perfluoroethanesulfonic acid (PFEtS)
Perfluoropropanesulfonic acid (PFPrS)
Unlike their long-chain cousins, these ultra-short-chain PFAS are highly mobile in water, making them especially concerning for drinking water contamination and—you guessed it—beverages.
Wine as a time capsule
At the University of Freiburg in Germany, Professor Dr. Michael Müller took a creative approach to tracking environmental contamination. His project, “Forever Chemicals – Wine as Evidence for Science,” used wine bottles as environmental time capsules to study the rise of TFA over decades.
By analyzing bottles from different years, his team confirmed an increase in TFA levels, in line with the findings from the PAN Europe report.
Germany leads the way on regulation efforts
Germany is taking a proactive stance. Authorities there have classified TFA as both reproductively toxic and environmentally hazardous, and a formal proposal has been submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to harmonize its hazard classification across the EU.
This move could set a precedent for regulating ultra-short chain PFAS, which have historically been overlooked in favour of their longer-chain counterparts.
Beverages as a major exposure route
When scientists talk about PFAS exposure, they usually mention dust ingestion or drinking water. But beverages – especially those consumed in large volumes – are emerging as a significant exposure pathway.
Consider just these figures:
- Global wine consumption in 2024 is estimated at 214 million hectolitres – the lowest since 1961, but still a massive volume.
- The global beer market continues to grow, with a projected 6% CAGR in both sales and volume over the next three years.
If these beverages are contaminated with TFA, the potential for widespread human exposure is substantial. With China currently leading the global beer consumption ranking by country, it would be interesting to see human biomonitoring data soon from that region.
Ready to test? We have got you covered
If you feel inspired now to try TFA analysis, here is a technical note that will help to get you up and running – proven and tested in water matrices. The method combines ultra-short and long-chain PFAS. As a result of extensive chromatographic optimization, the method provides you with:
- Stable retention times for ultra-short chain PFAS like TFA with excellent separation from the void region
- Accurate and reproducible quantitation at the LOQ featuring mean accuracy (±25%) and precision (%CV <25%) at sub-to-low ng/L LOQs for most target PFAS.
Testing beverages
If you are aiming to test your beverages, one sample prep approach to start off comes from the PAN publication. The wine samples were prepared using the Quick Method for the Analysis of Highly Polar Pesticides in Food Involving Extraction with Acidified Methanol and LC-MS/MS Measurement – Part I: Food of Plant Origin (QuPPe-PO-Method), Version 12.3, developed by the EU Reference Laboratory for Pesticides Requiring Single Residue Methods, CVUA Stuttgart.
As this is quite time-consuming, SCIEX and Phenomenex, in collaboration with York University, Canada, have tried out a much faster approach in the latest technical note on shorties in beverages: Centrifuge and dilute, with low detection limits due to the sensitivity of the SCIEX 7500 system.
A call for monitoring
TFA is showing up in our food and drinks, and it’s not going away on its own. Given its persistence and potential toxicity, it is understandable that the research community is calling for:
- Comprehensive monitoring programs for TFA in food and beverages
- Precautionary regulatory frameworks that reflect the latest toxicological data
- Analytical tools that can keep pace with emerging contaminants
With Germany leading the charge and analytical technologies like LC-MS available that are making the detection easier than ever, we are well equipped for what lies ahead.
While not yet as heavily regulated as long-chain PFAS, attention towards the short chain PFAS is evolving, especially regarding their presence in drinking water. The European Union’s Drinking Water Directive (DWD) sets limits for total PFAS, including ultra-short chain compounds.
I am excited to see what will be on the horizon globally in the next two years regarding these so-called ‘shorties’.
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References
- PAN Europe: Message from the bottle
- Eurofins White Paper: Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and trifluoromethane sulphonic acid (TFMS) in juice and fruit/vegetable purees
- State of the world vine and wine sector 2024
- Innovamarketinsights global-beer-trends
- Technical Note: Ultrashort-chain PFAS in water
- Technical Note: Ultrashort-chain PFAS in beverages with York University, Canada
*This content does not constitute legal advice. You should consult counsel to assure your procedures comply with applicable law and that it meets your needs.
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