Denmark has decided to phase out around 20 plant protection products containing PFAS after findings that they break down into TFA, a water-soluble metabolite that seeps into groundwater. Growers in Sweden are now awaiting the Chemicals Inspectorate's strategy, due later this year.
Anders Andersson, a farmer at Hörtegården in Skåne, said, "There are nice varieties that do not need as much pesticides, absolutely, but they have a number of drawbacks and I do not think that trade and consumers are prepared for it." He explained that consumers tend to reject potatoes with defects. "Consumers only buy the nice ones. Fifteen to twenty percent of potatoes are discarded due to appearance and become biogas and animal feed."
Resistant blight fungus remains a major concern for potato producers. "Blight fungus is so cunning, so it has come around many substances and become resistant," Andersson said, noting that alternatives without PFAS are limited. "It's a choice between plague or cholera."
Some conventional growers report they are managing without PFAS agents, but uncertainty remains. Charlott Gissén, environmental coordinator at the Swedish Board of Agriculture, said, "We are all sitting on needles" ahead of the national strategy. She added that organic farming proves it is possible to grow potatoes without PFAS, though the impact on yields is unclear. She noted that variety choice, crop rotation, and cultivation technique will be decisive.
PFAS-based products are widely used in conventional farming, not only against potato blight but also against weeds and insects. German authorities have raised concerns about TFA's potential impact on reproductive health, and the EU is re-evaluating PFAS use. Mats Allmyr from the Chemicals Inspectorate said, "That's the problem, that TFA has emerged as a potentially toxic metabolite that was not previously noticed." The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is expected to release guidance next year on acceptable intake levels.
In Sweden, investigations have been ongoing through the spring. "It concerns many products and it can have major consequences for Swedish agriculture if you address all at once," Allmyr said. He added that the authority must develop a plan to handle re-examination of the products.
Fredrik Andersson, a potato grower and board member of LRF, warned that a ban similar to Denmark's would have consequences. "It must be handled so that we do not knock out domestic production and get imports instead, because then it will only get worse."
PFAS chemicals, often called "eternal chemicals," are used in a wide range of products, including refrigerants, fire extinguishing foam, packaging, and plant protection products in agriculture.
Source: Sweden Herald