High levels of ‘forever chemical’ found in cereal products across Europe – study | Pesticides
High levels of toxic “forever chemicals” have been found in cereal crops across Europe due to the presence of pesticides.
According to a study by the Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN), the most contaminated food is breakfast cereal, with concentrations 100 times higher than average concentrations in tap water.
The study found trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a chemical produced when pesticides containing Pfas chemicals break down into soil, in breakfast cereals, popular desserts, pastas, croissants, whole wheat and refined breads, and flour.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a group of chemicals used in manufacturing and added to consumer products since the 1950s.
They are known as “forever chemicals” because they can take hundreds or even thousands of years to degrade after the products they are used in are discarded. This means that if they seep into soil or water, as they often do, they can remain there for centuries. Their effects on human health and the environment are just becoming clearer, with new studies frequently emerging about the links of some chemicals to diseases such as cancer.
TFA is reprotoxic, meaning it has the potential to harm human reproductive function, fertility, and fetal development. It has also been associated with adverse effects on thyroid, liver, and immune functions. Campaigners are calling on governments to set a much more protective TFA safety margin and ban all Pfas pesticides and other sources of TFA. Governments do not currently monitor TFA in food.
The study analyzed 65 traditional grain products purchased in 16 European countries; This is the first study of its kind at EU level. Previous reports have found high levels of TFA in wine and some contamination in tap water. It is water soluble, meaning it can be taken up by plants from the soil.
TFA was detected in 81.5% of samples (53 out of 65) with high levels of contamination in 16 European countries. Wheat products are significantly more contaminated than other grain-based products.
The highest levels were found in Irish breakfast cereals, followed by Belgian wholemeal bread, then German wholemeal bread, and then the French baguette. It’s found in a wide range of products, from spaghetti to cheesecakes to gingerbread.
“All humans are exposed to TFAs through many routes, including through food and drinking water. Our findings underline the urgent need to ban Pfas pesticides to stop further contamination of the food chain,” said PAN Europe policy officer Salomé Roynel.
Angeliki Lysimachou, head of science and policy at PAN Europe, said: “All samples were above the assumed maximum residue limit. We cannot expose children to reproductive toxic chemicals. This requires urgent action.”
Although England was not included in the study, the results have implications there as well. Pfas are among the most widely used pesticide active ingredients in the UK; There are 27 known Pfas active ingredients used in UK pesticides, with six of these identified as extremely hazardous. They are used because their properties can increase the pesticide’s ability to be specific, act faster, and have a longer lasting effect on target organisms.
