Analysis of difluoro- and trifluoroacetic acid (DFA and TFA) in food
The relevance of food analysis for the detection of short-chain PFAS (DFA and TFA)
April 2026. Knows as “forever chemicals“, Difluoroacetic acid (DFA) and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) are ultra short organic acids that contain fluorine. Their chemical structure gives rise to specific properties. Among these is the ubiquity of DFA and TFA, meaning they are found almost everywhere in the environment., particularly in water[1]. This article provides information on the relevance of food analysis for DFA and TFA.
Occurrence in the environment and the food chain
DFA enters the food chain and the environment primarily as a metabolite of various pesticides (e.g. flupyradifuron). The pesticides involved already contain the key structural element of DFA and can therefore easily form this metabolite[2].
Flupyradifuron, for example, is used quite frequently in hops, and consequently, DFA is also frequently detected in conventionally grown hops.
The pathways by which TFA enters the food chain and the environment are significantly more diverse: TFA can form as a degradation product of fluorinated refrigerants, pesticides (e.g. diflufenican, flonicamid), textiles, food packaging and many other sources[3].
DFA and TFA – the "forever chemicals"
DFA and TFA are highly stable substances that are hardly broken down in the environment or by organisms. They are therefore also referred to as ”forever chemicals”. This stability is due to the structure of the substances. The carbon-fluorine bond is one of the strongest in organic chemistry, meaning that a great amount of energy is required to break this bond. As a result, degradation in the environment is virtually non-existent[7].
TFA is found in food
Whilst the presence of DFA in food is rarely discussed in public, TFA has recently come under greater spotlight. In a study by the Austrian organisation Global2000[4], for example, 48 cereal products (including bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, cornflakes and flour – half from organic and half from conventional farming) were tested for TFA contamination. All 48 cereal products tested contained TFA. The concentrations measured ranged from 0.013 mg/kg (organically grown rye) to 0.42 mg/kg (conventionally grown butter biscuits).
Findings from recent studies
A stuy by the 'Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V.'[5] reaches very similar conclusions. TFA was also analysed in wine[6]. It is interesting to note that the levels found in recent harvests were much higher than in older ones.
All the studies cited assume that the TFA levels found in food are primarily attributable to the use of pesticides, since the levels in environmental samples are usually significantly lower.
Risk assessment and established maximum limits
From a toxicological perspective, TFA was considered harmless for a long time, particularly by PFAS manufacturers. However, a study on TFA commissioned in 2021 by pesticide manufacturers under the REACH chemicals regulation revealed severe malformations in rabbit fetuses. Since then, TFA has been suspected of posing a risk to human reproductive health. At Germany’s initiative, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is currently reviewing the classification of TFA as toxic to reproduction[8].
In 2024, maximum residue limits were set for DFA. For many foodstuffs, they range between 0.05 and 1.0 mg/kg; for hops, for example the limit is 0.3 mg/kg. No maximum residue limits have yet been set for TFA[9].
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Sources
[1] Chemosphere: The fate and persistence of trifluoroacetic and chloroacetic acids in pond waters
[2] cvua Stuttgart: Analysis of TFA, DFA and MFA in Fruit and Vegetables
[3] Magazin des Umweltbundesamtes 1/2019 für Mensch und Umwelt 1/2020: PFAS, gekommen, um zu bleiben (in German)
[4] GLOBAL 2000: TFA-Belastung: Ewigkeit-Chemikalie in unserem täglich Brot (in German)
[5] Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V.; Untersuchung deckt auf: Europaweit Getreideprodukte mit Ewigkeitschemikalie TFA belastet (in German)
[6] Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V.: Studie zeigt alarmierenden Anstieg der Chemikalie TFA in europäischem Wein
[7] MDPI | environments | Trifluoroacetic Acid: A Narrative Review on Physico-Chemical Properties, Exposure Pathways, and Toxicological Concerns
[8] 4aqua: Trifluoracetat – neue Studie zeigt schwere Missbildung bei Kaninchen – Einstufung als reproduktionstoxisch Kategorie 1B absehbar (in German)
[9] Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/2640 as regards maximum residue levels for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, difluoroacetic acid (DFA), fluopyram and flupyradifurone in or on certain products
Written by:
Robert Brockmeyer
Eurofins SOFIA GmbH