Free to Members
$70 for Non-Members ($35 for Developing Country) – Special opportunity: includes 1 year of complimentary AOAC individual membership
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic chemicals known for their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and potential adverse health effects, including cancer. Because diet is a major pathway for human exposure, through contaminated food and migration from food contact materials, accurate detection of PFAS in food is critical for consumer safety.
However, analyzing PFAS in complex food matrices remains a significant challenge for analytical science. This session will review the evolution of PFAS exposure research in food and present recent advances in validated methods for detection and quantification across diverse food types. Emphasis will be placed on strategies that enhance sensitivity, specificity, and throughput while effectively addressing matrix complexity and meeting evolving regulatory requirements.
Case studies will illustrate successful real-world applications, offering practical insights for researchers, industry professionals, and regulatory bodies. The session aims to foster meaningful dialogue and collaboration to drive harmonization and innovation in analytical practices.
Attendees will gain a clear understanding of current trends and future directions in PFAS residue analysis, advancing food safety science.
This webinar will highlight these method enhancements and demonstrate how they streamline workflow, improve data quality, and support routine PFAS analysis in complex food and feed matrices.
Courtney Carignan, Michigan State University, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as a food safety concern due to their toxicity, environmental persistence, mobility, and potential to accumulate in agricultural systems. While PFAS exposure can occur through multiple pathways, dietary intake is a primary source for the general population and may be substantially elevated for communities and farms impacted by environmental contamination. Case studies will highlight pathways of PFAS from chemical manufacturing, industrial use, military installations, and waste infrastructure to soil, water, crops, forage and livestock. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of the current science surrounding PFAS dietary exposure and the critical role of analytical chemistry in addressing this evolving food safety challenge.
Susan Genualdi, Human Foods Program, United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA)
Currently the FDA uses method C-010.03 for the detection of PFAS in food and feed and the USDA uses method CLG-PFAS 2.04 for the detection of PFAS in cattle, swine, poultry and Siluriformes muscle and cattle plasma. Between the two federal agencies, there is overlap on the matrices analyzed for research and regulatory purposes. In order to have consistency and agreement among federal agencies, a new method was developed by USDA-ARS, USDA-FSIS, and FDA scientists. This method focuses on the priority food matrices which are of interest to both agencies, including milk, eggs, muscle tissue, and seafood. The analytical method and validation results will be presented.
Limian Zhao, Agilent Technologies
AOAC OMA 2025.11 First Action was developed and validated through a single-laboratory validation study for the determination of 30 PFAS compounds in food and feed matrices spanning 11 categories. The analytical workflow applies QuEChERS extraction followed by Enhanced Matrix Removal (EMR) mixed-mode passthrough cleanup, and LC-MS/MS analysis. Since its initial validation, the method has undergone several enhancements to improve method usability, robustness, and analytical reliability. First, the implementation of a feed injection program using the Hybrid Sampler effectively mitigates solvent effects and enables direct injection of sample extracts in strong organic solvent such as acetonitrile. Combined with the high sensitivity of modern LC/MS/MS systems, this improvement eliminates the need for the evaporation and reconstitution step following EMR cleanup, reducing sample preparation time by 30% or more, lowering matrix effects, and minimizing the risk of PFAS contamination. In addition, the novel mixed-mode Altura PFAS column demonstrates an orthogonal chromatographic approach for secondary confirmation of PFBA and PFPeA. This capability significantly improves the ease and feasibility of confirming the identity of these two challenging analytes.
AOAC INTERNATIONAL brings together government, industry, and academia to establish standard methods of analysis that ensure the safety and integrity of foods and other products that impact public health around the world.
AOAC INTERNATIONAL
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