The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has named seafood exporters with unsafe levels of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals," marking one of the first times the agency has issued such a warning, an official confirmed to ConsumerAffairs.
Eight Chinese exporters of clams to the U.S. were added to an import alert after they were found to have concerning levels of PFAS in the seafood, the FDA said Tuesday.
"If the agency finds that the level of PFAS creates a health concern about a particular food, we take action, which may include working with the manufacturer to resolve the issue and taking steps to prevent the product from entering, or remaining in, the U.S. market," an FDA official said to ConsumerAffairs.
The warning suggests that more imported clams may have unsafe levels of PFAS.
PFAS are known as "forever chemicals" because they can last for thousands of years in the environment and are linked to health problems such as cancer and liver disease.
The chemicals can enter waterways from industrial sites and other means.
The FDA named the following clam exporters for having levels of PFAS that may pose a health concern:
- DANDONG ZHENGRUN FOOD
- DONGGANG CITY GANGZHU FOODSTUFF
- DONGGANG YIXING FOOD
- Dandong Jiamei Food
- Donggang City Tianhong Aquatic Foodstuff
- Donggang Hongxing Food
- LIAONING BAICHEN FOOD
- Nantong Changhua Aquatic Food
In November, the FDA began investigating PFAS in seafood and its harms on human health, requesting information from the seafood industry, academics, state and federal agencies and others.
In 2022, the FDA also secured the first-ever recalls of seafood because of PFAS.
Email Dieter Holger at dholger@consumeraffairs.com.
Sign up below for The Daily Consumer, our newsletter on the latest consumer news, including recalls, scams, lawsuits and more.