ECHA's Committee for Risk Assessment issued an October 2026 opinion recommending a harmonized classification for trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and its inorganic salts, according to a Poli International regulatory briefing. RAC recommended Repr. 1B (H360Df), indicating it may damage the unborn child, together with Category 2 for adverse effects on sexual function and fertility.
RAC also upgraded the acute inhalation toxicity classification to Acute Tox. 3 (H331) with an ATE of 3 mg/L for vapours, up from the existing Category 4. The opinion was based on a harmonized classification and labeling proposal submitted by Germany in 2024 and evaluated at RAC's 77th plenary meeting.
Under the REACH regulatory cascade, substances classified as Repr. 1B meet criteria under Article 57(c) for identification as Substances of Very High Concern. That would trigger candidate list listing and potential prioritization for authorization rather than an immediate sales ban.
The opinion is a classification signal rather than a product ban or immediate recall order. TFA is a terminal breakdown product of certain restricted PFAS precursors and is relevant to tattoo ink and permanent make-up compliance under REACH Annex XVII entry 75, even though TFA itself is not listed in that entry.
