PFAS-contaminated meat still sold in eastern Switzerland

PFAS-contaminated meat is still sold by St Gallen businesses. Keystone-SDA

Meat containing excessive levels of toxic PFAS "forever chemicals" from farms in canton St Gallen is still being sold. Cantonal autorities say sales bans are not necessary because current measures are adequate.

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As reported by the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper on June 1, meat from farms on the Eggersrieter Höhe is still being sold. Last summer, canton St Gallen reported that elevated or excessive levels of PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl, chemicals had been measured in the meat of cows and cattle as well as in the soil or spring water from this area. PFAS are chemicals that are difficult to break down and have been used industrially for decades.

No sales bans have yet been issued, according to the state chancellery of canton St Gallen, which confirmed the details of the NZZ report to the Keystone-SDA news agency. It added: “Canton St Gallen has adapted its practice so that affected businesses must take and communicate containment measures.”

Samples from a single animal cannot be used to draw conclusions about the entire herd of a farm. “As long as farms actively cooperate in the reduction, they can continue to sell the meat of their other animals,” the state chancellery said.

Concerns about damage to health

Asked to confirm whether the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) had criticised the canton’s actions, as described in the NZZ report, the state chancellery did not elaborate.

However, it pointed out that the federal government had not yet issued any directives regarding PFAS. The canton added that the values measured in the samples to date did not represent an “acute health risk according to current knowledge”.

NZZ reported that an researcher from the federal technology institute ETH Zurich had warned of damage to the liver, kidneys and thyroid due to PFAS in food.

Cantonal ministers in St Gallen are also concerned about possible damage to health. Two motions on the subject were submitted on June 2 by a parliamentary group. A further motion from another parliamentary group enquired about measures to ensure PFAS-contaminated companies are not penalised.

As the urgency of the motions was rejected in the St Gallen cantonal parliament on Tuesday, there were no immediate answers to the government’s questions.

National politicians are also likely to deal with the topic of PFAS on June 4. The Senate is expected to discuss a motion by Benedikt Würth, a member from St Gallen, which calls for products that are too heavily contaminated with PFAS to be mixed with clean products.

Translated from German by DeepL/sb

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