9 April 2024 – Research by the UK government has found that a wide range of food and drinks contain PFA chemicals. This class of toxins, also called ‘forever chemicals’, was used in pesticides.
The Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF), which is part of the UK’s Environment Deparment, monitors the level of pesticides found in our food. They last tested 3,304 samples of food and drink available in the UK in 2022. They were looking for residues of about 401 pesticides.
Most pesticides used in farming contain PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals‘. Shockingly, the results show that these toxic chemicals have been found in the majority of foods and beverages tested.
‘Forever Chemicals’ Linked To Severe Health Issues
Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoralkyl Substances (PFAS) are a group of well over 4,000 synthetic chemicals. They have a wide range of uses and can be found in many products, including food packaging, cosmetics, non-stick pans, pesticides and many more.
One of the defining characteristics of these chemicals is that they take an awful long time to break down. That’s why they have gained the nickname ‘forever chemicals’. This means, once they are in our bodies or the environment, they will stay there for a long time.
While not all of these PFAS have been researched, many have and studies have found that they can cause serious health issues. A study from 2023 showed that they impact the human liver, kidney and muscles.
Other studies have shown links to kidney and testicular cancer. Although less well researched, these ‘forever chemicals’ also have a huge impact on our environment. Back in 2014, a study concluded that they are harmful and even toxic to aquatic life.
Despite all this being known, there isn’t much progress in regulating these toxins. Some have been banned and others are strictly regulated. However, many can still be used in many different products.
58% Of Food Tested Contained Pesticide Residues
The PRiF report found that 58% of the tested samples contained pesticide residue. However, only 2% were above the Maximum Resudue Level (MRL). 56% were at or below the MRL.
The MRL is a legal limit, which means food sold in the UK isn’t allowed to contain higher levels than this limit. The assumption is that any amount of residue below the maximum level is safe for consumers, according to the government.
The findings of the report will be looked at by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which will assess any risks caused by the residue levels found and will take action if they identify any possible resulting health risks.
While the committee didn’t test for PFA chemicals as such, the pesticide tested for contain them. The Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK) has analysed the data published by the PRiF and found that the highest concentration of PFAS pesticides was detected in strawberries, with 95% containing them.
Grapes came second with 61% of the samples containing ‘forever chemicals’. 56% of cherries and 42% of spinach samples contained the substances.
Of the tomatoes that got tested, 38% were found to include PFAS containing pesticides. But not all fruits and vegetables contained such high levels. Around 15% of cucumbers, apricots, peaches and beans contained the toxins.
Call For Ban Of PFAS Containing Pesticides
Following their analysis, Pan UK called on the government to ban the 25 pesticides that contain ‘forever chemicals’ and are used in the UK.
Given that science has shown that PFA chemicals pose health risks and can harm our environment, the use of these pesticides can no longer be allowed, according to Pan UK.
We urgently need to develop a better understanding of the health risks associated with ingesting these ‘forever chemicals’ and do everything we can to exclude them from the food chain.
Nick Mole, The Pesticide Action Network UK
Our Opinion
Here at EcoHomeLife we have done a lot of research into these nasty ‘forever chemicals’ and we agree with Pan UK. Any pesticides containing them should be banned. The levels of the chemicals found in the report are shocking.
And it isn’t much of a consolation that most of the residue found was below the MRL. While I do think that a maximum limit to determine safety is useful in certain cases, in this case it isn’t.
What doesn’t seem to be considered is that these PFAS persist for a long time. This means that every time you eat a strawberry or spinach that contains these chemicals, they will accumulate in our body.
The MRL is based on one consumption. For example, if the strawberries that were tested contained less PAFS than the limit, it’s considered safe to eat them. But if you eat them for breakfast, a cucumber salad for lunch and spinach for dinner, what does that mean?
Even if the residue on the strawberries, cucumber and spinach you eat is below the maximum for all of them individually, taken together it might be over it. And if you have eaten the same the day before, you still have these chemicals in our body.
For me this means that there is only one thing we can do: we have to ban the use of ‘forever chemicals’ completely. They are harmful for us and our environment, and we need to stop more of them from getting into us, plants and wildlife.
