May 09, 2025 - 2 comments
Wait… There’s TFA in Wine Now?
A recent study has uncovered something unexpected in bottles of European wine: traces of a chemical called TFA. Short for trifluoroacetic acid, TFA belongs to a group of human-made substances known as PFAS or “forever chemicals” because they don’t easily break down in nature, or in humans!
PFAS like TFA are concerning because they’ve been linked to a range of health problems in humans, including hormone disruption, immune system issues, liver damage, and cancer. They can accumulate in the body over time, making even small exposures potentially risky.
PFAS are used in all sorts of everyday products, from non-stick pans and waterproof jackets to food packaging and pesticides. The problem is, once they’re out in the world, they don’t go away. They contaminate water sources, harm wildlife, and persist in ecosystems for decades, if not centuries, which is how they have ended up in wine.
Environmental group PAN Europe tested 49 bottles of wine and found TFA in nearly all of them. That included both conventional and organic wines, though the organic ones tended to have lower levels. Interestingly, wines bottled before 1988 showed no traces of TFA at all, pointing to industrial pollution and modern agriculture as the likely culprits.
Sadly, natural wine wasn’t tested at all. As it is made with low-intervention methods and typically free from synthetic chemicals, natural wine raises a hopeful question: could it be free of PFAS too?
The reality, however, is more complex. Since PFAS contamination is often waterborne, even the cleanest vineyards can be affected, especially if they’re near polluted rivers, industrial sites, or neighbors using heavy pesticides. Studies suggest that nearly all rivers in Europe are contaminated with PFAS, making it extremely difficult to escape their reach entirely.
Still, this study is a reminder of why natural wine matters. While it may not offer total immunity from pollution, it reflects a conscious effort to work with nature rather than against it. In an era where contamination feels unavoidable, supporting producers who reject the industrial model and push for healthier soils, cleaner water, and more transparent farming, has never been more important!
Related articles:
- Study reveals alarming surge of forever chemical TFA in European wine, Pan Europe, April 2025.
- Alarming increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines, The Guardian, 2025.
- Record levels of TFA, the most common PFAS, found in wine bottles, Stéphane Mandard & Stéphane Foucart, Le Monde, April 2025.
- Pan's official report, Message from the bottle, Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, 23 April 2025.
