Certified Group has secured FDA acceptance of a validated analytical method for detecting perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in frozen clams, the Melville, N.Y.-based testing firm announced June 11. The method was developed under direct FDA guidance and is formally accepted for frozen clam matrices, while broader PFAS screening is available across nearly all seafood categories.
For foodservice operators, purchasing managers, and seafood importers, the development offers a concrete compliance pathway tied to FDA Import Alert 99-48, which authorizes detention without physical examination of seafood shipments where PFAS contamination is a concern. Shipments detained under that alert have created supply disruptions across the clam, shellfish, and broader seafood supply chains — making a FDA-accepted test method a practical operational tool, not just a regulatory footnote.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — have drawn intensifying regulatory scrutiny across food and food-contact applications. The FDA's willingness to formally accept a third-party lab method signals a maturing enforcement posture around PFAS in protein categories, one that equipment-adjacent stakeholders in cold-chain and refrigeration should watch closely as compliance requirements filter into purchasing specifications for cold storage and seafood-handling equipment.
For commercial kitchen operators sourcing frozen clams or other shellfish — particularly those in high-volume seafood concepts, healthcare foodservice, or institutional settings — the availability of an FDA-accepted method means supply chain verification can now be performed before product enters the building rather than after a detention event. Operators replacing or specifying prep and storage equipment for seafood programs may find supplier PFAS documentation becoming a standard qualification criterion.
Certified Group operates a network of food safety and quality testing laboratories. The company noted that while the FDA-accepted method specifically covers frozen clams for PFOA and PFOS, its broader PFAS testing capabilities extend to nearly all seafood matrices, giving procurement teams flexibility across species and product forms.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
