PFAS in the Agri-Food Chain: The Precautionary Principle in the Age of “Forever Chemicals”

Abstract

In recent years, scientific and institutional attention to the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has brought to the forefront of legal debate the risks arising from the contamination of environmental matrices and the food chain. This contribution explores the operational scope of the precautionary principle in the light of the pervasiveness, ubiquity, and toxicity of so-called “forever chemicals”. From this perspective, the concept of “essential use” and the emerging model of “cognitive-normative anticipation” in the field of chemical substances are critically scrutinized to assess their suitability to redefine the relationship between the production, regulation, and dissemination of knowledge, in the interest of a high level of food safety protection.