Sweden plans to strengthen control over the use of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agriculture to meet the increasingly stringent regulatory requirements of the European Union in the field of environmental health.. Previously, Denmark had announced the gradual phase out of about 20 plant protection products containing PFAS, as they can degrade into water-soluble metabolite trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and infiltrate groundwater systems, causing environmental and health concerns.

    The Swedish Chemicals Agency is expected to announce relevant strategies in the second half of this year, and local growers are currently closely monitoring and waiting.

    A farmer in Sk å ne province stated that although several potato varieties with strong disease resistance and low pesticide demand have been cultivated, there are still shortcomings in their commercialization, and the market and consumer acceptance of these varieties are not yet clear. He pointed out that consumers usually prefer potatoes with intact appearance, resulting in about 15% -20% of products being eliminated due to appearance defects and ultimately converted to biogas or animal feed.

    At present, effective prevention and control methods without PFAS are still limited, and growers face difficult choices.

    Some traditional growers have reported attempting to reduce or discontinue PFAS containing products, but still face significant uncertainty. The environmental coordinator of the Swedish Agricultural Council stated that the industry as a whole is in a highly tense state until the national strategy is clear. It stated that organic agriculture has proven the feasibility of managing potato cultivation without using PFAS containing products, but the impact on yield under this model still needs to be evaluated, and future variety selection, crop rotation systems, and cultivation techniques will be key factors.

    PFAS chemicals are not only used for the prevention and control of potato late blight, but also widely used in traditional agriculture for weed control and pest control. German regulatory agencies have been concerned about the potential risks of TFA to reproductive health, and the European Union is also reassessing the scope of use of PFAS. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is expected to propose guidelines for the allowable intake of this substance next year.

    The Swedish Chemicals Agency pointed out that the core issue is that TFA, as a toxic metabolite that has not been fully recognized in the past, is gradually showing its risks. Since the spring of this year, Sweden has conducted a series of preliminary investigations. The agency pointed out that PFAS involves numerous agricultural products, and if completely and suddenly banned, it will have a significant impact on local agriculture. Therefore, a phased and phased evaluation and alternative plan is being developed.