EU Tightens PFAS Rules for Food Packaging as German Industry Faces Compliance Overhaul
Published on 08/02/2026 at 10:42 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A fire that tore through a textile service company in Bad Säckingen in the early hours of August 1 has thrown a harsh spotlight on how quickly chemical hazards can escalate. The blaze, triggered by a burning machine, destroyed an entire washing hall and left behind damages estimated between five and six million euros. Firefighters encountered oxidizing agents on site, forcing a specialized hazardous materials operation to bring the stored substances under control.
The incident lands at a moment when German businesses are navigating an increasingly dense web of chemical safety regulations. New European limits on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food packaging take effect on August 12, coinciding with the entry into force of the EU Packaging Regulation. For companies that handle chemicals or manufacture packaged goods, the compliance bar has just moved higher.
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Courts and Commentaries Reshape Liability Expectations
Legal guidance is arriving alongside the regulatory shifts. Thomas Wilrich and Cordula Wilrich published the second edition of their reference work on hazardous substance law on August 1, dissecting 50 court rulings that touch on safety, explosion protection, and liability in chemical handling. The book examines how judges assess failures in risk assessments and protective measures — a signal that courts are paying closer attention to documentation gaps.
A fresh edition on press accident prevention is also due out this month, incorporating the EU Machinery Regulation and updated safety control systems. The takeaway for plant operators: technical equipment in high-risk areas now demands more rigorous inspection and record-keeping than ever before.
One recent court decision offers some relief for online retailers. The Berlin II Regional Court ruled that information obligations under the Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) do not apply retroactively to goods lawfully placed on the market before December 13, 2024. Merchants holding older stock do not need to retroactively attach additional manufacturer details, provided those products met the requirements in force at the time.
Training Deadlines and Substitution Pitfalls
For day-to-day operations, training obligations remain a persistent concern. Any product containing more than 0.1 percent diisocyanate triggers a mandatory qualification requirement under the REACH Regulation. These certifications are tiered and must be refreshed every five years to stay valid — a timeline that catches many companies off guard.
Beyond training, experts point to a quieter but equally dangerous risk: substituting substances in components. Swapping one material for another can inadvertently breach rules such as RoHS, REACH, or the new PFAS restrictions. Export control provisions and sector-specific certifications for medical technology or automotive parts add further layers of complexity. The consequences of getting it wrong are severe — fines can reach seven figures, and product recalls average around ten million euros.
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Storage Guidelines and Recycling Realities
On the technical side, storage practices are being refined. A DGUV expert committee issued guidance late last year on the co-storage of lithium-ion batteries and oxygen self-rescuers. The recommendations call for clear separation distances and specific engineering solutions to prevent dangerous interactions during a fire.
Recycling of technical plastics is also under scrutiny. Industry voices, including BASF, are pushing for better infrastructure. Mechanical recycling works well for single-material waste streams, but complex mixtures require solvent-based methods or depolymerization. For those technologies to become economically viable, companies need optimized waste flows and dependable policy support from regulators.
The combination of new deadlines, stricter judicial oversight, and evolving technical standards means German industry faces no shortage of compliance challenges this autumn. The August 12 PFAS limits are just the beginning.
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