A new study has found high levels of the “forever chemical” in everyday cereal products in Europe that originates from pesticides.
Research conducted by Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe found that breakfast cereals showed the highest levels of the trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) “forever chemical”, with the average concentration found to be 107 times higher than what is found in tap water.
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The non-profit group’s investigation detected TFA in a range of everyday products, with the “most contaminated food” being breakfast cereal.
TFA is a breakdown product of pesticides containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), PAN Europe said.
PFAS are a group of synthetic chemicals, which include perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), perfluorononanoate (PFNA0) and perfluorodecanoate (PFDA).
They are classified as types of so-called forever chemicals that have been found worldwide in surface and ground water, air, indoor dust and a wide range of consumer products.
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By GlobalDataTFA consumption has been linked to problems in human reproductive health and development, as well as adverse effects on the thyroid and liver.
Other products where TFA was detected in PAN Europe’s study include popular confectionery, pasta, croissants, wholemeal and white bread, and flour.
The non-profit’s analysis included 66 conventional cereal goods bought in 16 European countries, including Ireland, Germany, Hungary, France, Spain and The Netherlands.
The highest levels of TFA were detected in breakfast cereals bought in Ireland, followed by Belgian wholemeal bread and wheat flour made in Germany.
TFA was found in 54 of the 66 products, representing 81.8% of the samples tested.
Wheat-based foods were identified as being “significantly” more contaminated than other types of cereal products, PAN Europe said.
In response to the findings, PAN Europe and its partner organisations called on authorities to “immediately” introduce a “far more protective” safety threshold for TFA and to prohibit all PFAS-based pesticides and other contributors to TFA contamination.
Salomé Roynel, policy officer at PAN Europe, said: “All people are exposed to TFA through multiple pathways, including food and drinking water. Our findings underscore the urgent need for an immediate ban of Pfas pesticides to stop further contamination of the food chain.”
“Pesticides that emit TFA must be urgently banned. We cannot allow children and pregnant women to be exposed to chemicals that we know harm reproductive health,” added Angeliki Lysimachou, head of science and policy at PAN Europe.
Last year, research shared on Elsevier’s Science Direct website detected high levels of PFAS in humans consuming white rice, eggs, red meat, seafood and coffee in the US.
BPAs, another type of forever chemical, have also been a major issue of interest in Europe. A report published in September 2023 found that the hormone-disrupting chemical was likely to be present in up to 100% of Europeans.
In June last year, the EU member states backed a proposal to ban the use of the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) in food and drink packaging.
The European Commission adopted the ban in December 2024, with the law coming into force in January this year.
In October, India’s food-safety watchdog issued a draft amendment to packaging laws from 2018 to prohibit BPA and PFAS.
BPA and PFAS have been linked to health concerns such as hormonal disruption, reproductive disorders and a higher risk of cancer.
