Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the current regulatory framework for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in (a) food and (b) drinking water.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) aims to keep levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food as low as reasonably achievable and is keeping the issue of PFAS under review.

Food business operators have a legal responsibility to ensure that any food they place on the market complies with general food law, which states that food shall not be placed on the market if it is unsafe. Where products are found to breach these requirements, local authorities have the power to take enforcement action.

The Committee on Toxicity (COT), an advisory body which provides independent scientific advice to the FSA, is currently undertaking an assessment of PFAS. This assessment includes an extensive review of the available data and derivation of updated health-based guidance values where possible.

Drinking water quality policy is wholly devolved and the following response is in relation to England only.

Defra and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) are working together to consider potential regulatory updates to England’s drinking water quality legislation based on DWI’s recommendations.

The DWI have issued guidance to water companies on PFAS. Concentrations of ‘sum of 48 PFAS’ reported as greater than 0.1 micrograms (or 100 nanograms) must be reported to the DWI as a water quality event and all necessary actions to reduce concentrations below this value must be taken. No treated water samples in 2024 were reported in Tier 3 (≥0.1 micrograms/L), supporting the effectiveness of industry mitigation strategies.