The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has established new consumer health-based guidance values for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), lowering the acceptable daily intake (ADI) to 0.014 mg per kg of body weight per day and setting an acute reference dose (ARfD) of 0.07 mg per kg of body weight. The revised values, published in a scientific report on 22 July 2026, replace the previous ADI of 0.05 mg per kg per day set in 2017 and introduce an ARfD for the first time. The changes are based on new toxicological studies showing effects on thyroid hormones and developmental toxicity, and they will impact risk assessments for pesticides and other chemicals that degrade into TFA, as well as for PFAS substances.
The report was prepared in response to a request from the European Commission under Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, in conjunction with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009. EFSA launched a targeted call for data from 6 August to 7 October 2024, collecting 170 studies and position papers from Member States, the TFA task force, and German authorities. The new ADI is derived from a benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL20) of 8.6 mg per kg per day, based on decreased thyroxine levels in rats, with a standard uncertainty factor of 100 and an additional factor of 5 to account for missing long-term toxicity data and potential developmental immunotoxicity. The ARfD is based on the same BMDL20 with a standard uncertainty factor of 100.
The revision follows a 2021 notification by the TFA task force under Article 56 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, which raised concerns about developmental effects observed in rabbits. In 2023, a prenatal developmental toxicity study was submitted under REACH. On 11 June 2024, Germany submitted a harmonised classification and labelling (CLH) dossier to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), proposing TFA as a reproductive toxicant (Category 1B), persistent, mobile and toxic (PMT), and very persistent and very mobile (vPvM). ECHA's Risk Assessment Committee recommended these classifications in June 2026. The new guidance values will be used in consumer risk assessments for plant protection products and other regulatory contexts, potentially tightening permissible exposure levels for TFA in food and water.
The report has moderate impact on pesticide manufacturers and chemical producers whose products degrade into TFA, as they may face stricter residue limits or re-evaluation of active substances. EU regulators will need to update risk assessments for affected pesticides, while consumers may benefit from reduced exposure to TFA. The new values also support ongoing EU efforts to regulate PFAS under multiple frameworks, including the REACH restriction proposal and water quality standards.