Baby food in the test: PFAS alarm meets 80% of the little Austrians!

Baby food in the test: PFAS alarm meets 80% of the little Austrians!

On September 24, 2025, a comprehensive study on the beginning of infants in Austria was published, which was carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Health. Over 80 percent of babies in Austria receive this special food in the first year of life. As part of the study, the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) tested a total of 17 products in cooperation with Stiftung Warentest and, fortunately, found that 11 of them were evaluated with "good" and 6 with "average". However, all products received the top grade "very good" in the "Nutritional Physiological Quality" category.

The current results are in contrast to previous tests that did not provide very good reviews for products in this area. A central element of the new study was the first analysis on polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAs), also known as "Eternal Schemicals". Almost all tested initial foods showed Pfas, whereby five products were classified as "striking". Despite the high pfas content in some of these products, the diet was thus considered generally justifiable.

Risks from PFAs and other pollutants

However, other pollutants such as glycidyl esters, Moah, lead, cadmium, bisphenol A (BPA) and Aflatoxin M1 were left out. Only saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH) were detected, but in the area of ​​the determination limit. A mixed sample made of three packaging tested contained indications of cronobacter, while six other samples have no evidence. These bacteria can cause serious infections in infants, especially with a low birth weight or weakened immune system.

The precautionary list of the affected products from the trade shows that security measures are taken seriously. In addition, there were no evidence of Salmonella, Enterobacteria, Listeria Monocytogenes or Bacillus Cereus. Nevertheless, the topic of PFAs illustrates that these chemicals, which are considered long -lasting in the environment, can mean a persistent problem.

Price differences and recommendations for the healthcare system

The price differences in infant beginnings are also remarkable. Depending on the product, an initial milk costs up to 135 euros per month, while another well -rated brand only costs 42 euros. The higher prices in Austria are particularly striking compared to Germany, where a product per kilo is 4.63 euros cheaper. This raises questions about pricing and consumer sensitization.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infants only breastfeed in the first six months and to continue breastfeeding together with the introduction of complementary food for up to two years or more. It is known that infants are considered a particularly sensitive population group in terms of exposure to PFAS. According to a study published in June 2025, the greatest PfAS pollution in infants comes from maternal transmission during pregnancy and breast milk.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have already set toxicological threshold values ​​for PFAs. In January 2023, the EU defined the highest levels for PFAs in food, with particularly strict determination limits for toddlers and infants. Eurofin's laboratories in Germany have developed an improved analysis method that supports these requirements.

In summary, the current studies show that the exposure of infants to Pfas in baby food has been determined, but overall it is not assessed as a significant risk. The stress situation seems to be declining, but remains a significant research topic and requires continuous surveillance and analysis.

For more detailed information and the complete test results, read the reports Dolomite city,, Lab News and Eurofins.