To investigate whether rubber compounds (mostly from traffic) are present in Swiss dairy production, a team from EPFL led by Florian Breider, director of the EPFL Central Environmental Laboratory, and the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO) in collaboration with Agroscope , analysed the composition of milk samples from 17 different Swiss farms.

The analysis revealed four rubber-related chemicals in raw milk, and at least one of these compounds was present in seven of the 17 samples analysed. In contrast, none of the target compounds were detected in the three samples collected from alpine farms located far from busy roads.

More surprising was the discovery that dairy equipment itself may contribute to contamination. Analysis of hoses, seals and other rubber components used in milk production revealed 14 rubber-related chemicals. “What is surprising is that these compounds come from materials legally authorized to be in contact with food,” researchers said.

Source:

Florian Breider, Dominique Grandjean, Claire Andrey, Thibault Masset, Beat J. Brüschweiler, Rubber-related chemical contamination in milk: Implications for dairy production systems, Food Chemistry: X, Volume 39, 2026, 104373, ISSN 2590-1575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104373.

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