Forbrugerrådet Tænk has found PFAS in all nine canned cod roe and fish roe products it tested. The consumer group is using the results to call for a total ban on the chemicals.
DR reports that the new test found PFAS in nine out of nine cans of cod roe and other fish roe. According to DR, the findings make it difficult to avoid ingesting the chemicals when eating such products. The test was published by Forbrugerrådet Tænk on August 18, 2026.
Stine Müller, project leader at Forbrugerrådet Tænk Kemi, says the results show the harmful chemicals are widespread in the Danish environment. Per DR, she argues that a total ban on PFAS is needed. TV2 Østjylland also reports the call for a full ban.
Forbrugerrådet Tænk still assesses that cod roe can be eaten as part of a varied diet. The group advises against eating large amounts of the same product week after week, and recommends varying between different fish spreads. Its own test article adds that one product contained BPA and one contained lead, and that roe content varied between 36 and 70 percent.
No specific limit for cod roe
DR reports that the results match earlier tests by Fødevarestyrelsen, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, which also detected PFAS in every cod roe sample examined. There is no EU maximum limit value specifically for PFAS in cod roe. The agency has urged the European Commission to set one.
Fødevarestyrelsen’s monitoring report on PFAS in food, based on 2024 data and published in 2025, states that PFAS were detected in all 20 fish roe samples analyzed. None of those samples exceeded applicable EU action or maximum levels. The report notes that EU maximum levels for certain PFAS in foods, including fish products, took effect on January 1, 2023.
The European Commission’s contaminants pages state that maximum levels for PFOS, PFOA, PFNA, PFHxS and their sum were set by Regulation (EU) 2022/2388, now part of Regulation (EU) 2023/915. Those levels cover fish and seafood broadly, without a separate category for roe. The Commission also notes that the European Food Safety Authority proposed a tolerable weekly intake of 4.4 nanograms per kilogram of body weight for the sum of four PFAS.
PFAS break down only very slowly and are linked to reduced immune function and hormone disruption, according to DR. The substances are used in products such as paint, cosmetics, electronics and carpets. Denmark has already banned PFAS pesticides and restricted the chemicals in clothing and textiles.
As stated by Forbrugerrådet Tænk, Fødevarestyrelsen says the Technical University of Denmark is currently examining whether new dietary advice on cod roe is needed. Politiken notes that the nine tested products differ significantly in roe content and labeling clarity.
