Food & Drink / Compounds / Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid)

Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid) in food: ingestion safety

Moderate risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Corrosive in concentrated form — requires PPE. Less sensitizing than glutaraldehyde. No toxic residuals after decomposition. Occupational exposure limit (OEL) typically 0.4 ppm STEL. Growing safety profile data supports expansion into food processing.

What is peracetic acid (paa / peroxyacetic acid)?

The IUPAC name is ethaneperoxoic acid.

Also known as: PERACETIC ACID, Peroxyacetic acid, Ethaneperoxoic acid, 79-21-0.

IUPAC name
ethaneperoxoic acid
CAS number
79-21-0
Molecular formula
C2H4O3
Molecular weight
76.05 g/mol
SMILES
CC(=O)OO
PubChem CID
6585

Risk for people

Moderate risk

Corrosive in concentrated form — requires PPE. Less sensitizing than glutaraldehyde. No toxic residuals after decomposition. Occupational exposure limit (OEL) typically 0.4 ppm STEL. Growing safety profile data supports expansion into food processing.

Regulatory consensus

4 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid). The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EPA—Registered antimicrobial pesticide under FIFRA
USDA—Approved antimicrobial for organic food processing (NOP)
FDA—GRAS components (acetic acid, H2O2). FDA-cleared for food-contact sanitizing. 510(k) cleared high-level disinfectant for medical devices
EU BPR—Approved active substance under BPR 528/2012, Product Types 1-5, 11, 12

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter peracetic acid (paa / peroxyacetic acid)

  • Food Processing — Poultry carcass antimicrobial rinse (USDA approved), Produce wash, Dairy CIP sanitizer, Brewery/winery sanitation
  • Healthcare — Endoscope reprocessing (Perasafe, Nu-Cidex), Surface disinfection
  • Water Treatment — Wastewater tertiary disinfection (replacing chlorine), Cooling tower biocide
  • Agriculture — Post-harvest fruit/vegetable treatment, Irrigation water disinfection

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid):

  • Chlorine dioxide (ClO2)
    Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×
  • Hypochlorous acid (HOCl)
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain peracetic acid (paa / peroxyacetic acid)?

Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid) appears in: Poultry carcass antimicrobial rinse (USDA approved) (Food processing); Produce wash (Food processing); Endoscope reprocessing (Perasafe, Nu-Cidex) (Healthcare); Surface disinfection (Healthcare); Wastewater tertiary disinfection (replacing chlorine) (Water treatment).

Why do regulators disagree about peracetic acid (paa / peroxyacetic acid)?

Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid) has been classified by 4 agencies including EPA, USDA, FDA, EU BPR, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Peracetic acid (PAA / peroxyacetic acid) in the food app

Look up products containing peracetic acid (paa / peroxyacetic acid), compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in food View raw API data

Sources (1)
  1. — expert_curation

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →