COT Working Groups

This is a paper for discussion. It does not reflect the views of the Committee and should not be cited.

PFAS Subgroup

1.135          The COT subgroup on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was set up in 2023 to provide guidance to UK Government Departments and Agencies to support human health risk assessments of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) where exposures to existing and legacy PFAS is occurring through food, drinking water and other environmental media. This will include:

• Undertaking an independent review of toxicological and epidemiological data, focusing on a number of critical endpoints, and considering the biological relevance of the endpoints assessed.
• Considering the toxicokinetics of PFAS.
• Determining whether different PFAS can be grouped for assessment and how this can be done.
• Deriving a HBGV or a number of HBGVs as the data allow.

1.136          The subgroup considered of the evidence on liver an thyroid effects in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, the subgroup, along with additional experts on reproductive and developmental outcomes, had an update meeting in December, where the status of the evidence reviews for reproductive and developmental effects was provided.

1.137          These will be discussed in the next full subgroup meeting in 2026.

COT Guidance

1.138           The COT have agreed that their current guidance should be reviewed and updated as necessary. The existing guidance dates from 1983 but fell out of use as EFSA guidance was used in its place. The intention is to produce overarching guidance with more specific guidance where required, however, where other suitable guidance is available this could be referred to as appropriate. A working group was formed to start this task and met twice in 2025 to scope out the planned work.