PFAS in cattle nature reserve Drowned Land of Saeftinghe

18.10.2024 | Fundamental right

PFAS in cattle nature reserve Drowned Land of Saeftinghe

The province of Zeeland is concerned about the presence of PFAS in milk and meat from cattle in the cross-border nature reserve Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe.

In the blood and meat of the cattle in the nature reserve, excessively high levels of PFAS were found. Earlier this month, the Het Zeeuwse Landschap foundation informed the province of this. The meat tested contained up to four times the standard for PFAS in meat intended for consumption.

The blood of several cattle – from one Belgian farmer – that graze in the nature reserve Het Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe outside the dike contains elevated levels of PFOS. This is a substance from the group of PFAS substances. This is evident from recent research by the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC). They then decided that the sale of meat from Belgian farmers who have cattle in Saeftinghe is not permitted without their permission.