Raising a Glass to PFAS? How Forever Chemicals Enter Wine and Beer
Wine and beer—beverages celebrated for their artisanal connection to place and raw material quality—have not escaped PFAS contamination. From vineyard irrigation water to brewery process water, from PFAS-treated filtration media to coated processing equipment, PFAS can enter wine and beer through multiple pathways. While the food and beverage industry has long monitored for heavy metals, pesticides, and microbiological contaminants, PFAS monitoring in alcoholic beverages is a newly emerging area where regulatory requirements are minimal and consumer awareness is growing.
Water as the Primary PFAS Pathway
Water is the primary ingredient in beer and a critical input for winery sanitation, grape washing, and equipment cleaning. Breweries and wineries using municipal water or private wells in PFAS-contaminated areas may introduce PFAS into their products through the process water used in production. A craft brewery in a contaminated community using local well water that contains PFAS at concentrations above health advisory levels could produce beer with detectable PFAS if no treatment is applied. Studies of craft beers in the United States have detected PFAS at low but measurable concentrations in some samples, though the full scope of beer PFAS contamination nationally has not been systematically characterized.
For wines, vineyard irrigation with PFAS-contaminated water can result in vine uptake of PFAS compounds, with translocation to grape berries depending on PFAS compound properties and vine physiology. Studies of wines produced in regions with documented PFAS water contamination—particularly in parts of France, Italy, and California near industrial or military sources—have found PFAS in finished wine samples, though concentrations generally remain low relative to the amounts that would trigger immediate food safety concern under current risk frameworks.
Processing Aids and Equipment Contacts
Brewing and winemaking processes involve numerous equipment contacts and processing aids that may contain PFAS. Fluoropolymer gaskets, seals, and tubing in brewing equipment provide chemical resistance and easy cleanability valued in food-grade applications. PTFE-lined hose assemblies for transferring hot wort or wine between tanks are common in both large industrial and small craft production facilities. While PTFE itself is considered chemically inert and is approved for food contact applications, manufacturing process residuals and degradation products at elevated temperatures may introduce trace PFAS into products.
Diatomaceous earth filtration—widely used in beer and wine clarification—may be treated with PFAS processing aids in some commercial grades. Ion exchange resins used for wine stabilization and deacidification have been found to contain trace PFAS in some studies. These processing-related PFAS pathways are often overlooked in product contamination assessments focused on raw material and water inputs.
Industry Response and Regulatory Outlook
Leading craft and commercial beverage producers are beginning to include PFAS in their water quality management programs, with some installing reverse osmosis treatment systems for process water as much to protect brand quality as to meet regulatory requirements. The Brewers Association and Wine Institute have both initiated information programs for their members on PFAS awareness and water quality testing. European food safety regulations—which will eventually incorporate PFAS maximum limits in beverages consistent with the EU PFAS restriction framework—will drive systematic PFAS assessment across the European wine and beer industry. The U.S. lacks specific PFAS limits for alcoholic beverages currently, creating a regulatory gap that consumer advocacy groups and public health organizations are beginning to address through petition and advocacy channels.