Toxic 'forever chemical' found in common breakfast cereals across Europe, study reveals.
A recent study by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN) has found alarming levels of a toxic "forever chemical" called trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in cereal products across 16 European countries. The most contaminated food items were breakfast cereals, with average concentrations 100 times higher than those found in tap water.
The study's findings suggest that TFA, a byproduct of Pfas chemicals used in pesticides, has infiltrated a wide range of everyday foods and drinks. The toxic chemical was detected in not only wheat-based products but also sweet treats like gingerbread, pasta, croissants, wholemeal bread, refined bread, and flour.
Pfas are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used since the 1950s. Known as "forever chemicals" due to their ability to persist for hundreds or thousands of years in soil, water, and other environments, they pose significant threats to human health and the environment. Recent studies have linked Pfas exposure to various diseases, including cancer.
TFA has been specifically identified as a reproductive toxin, capable of harming human fertility, fetal development, thyroid function, liver health, and immune system responses. Despite this, governments currently do not monitor TFA in food, leaving consumers with unknown levels of exposure.
The PAN study analyzed 65 conventional cereal products from various countries and found that nearly all (81.5%) contained detectable levels of TFA. Wheat-based products were significantly more contaminated than other types of cereals.
The highest levels of contamination were found in Irish breakfast cereal, followed by Belgian wholemeal bread, German wholemeal bread, and French baguette. The widespread presence of this toxic chemical highlights the urgent need for immediate action to ban Pfas pesticides and prevent further food chain contamination.
Campaigners are urging governments to set stricter safety limits for TFA and to take decisive action to protect public health and the environment. As one PAN policy officer noted, "We cannot expose children to reprotoxic chemicals. This demands immediate action."
A recent study by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN) has found alarming levels of a toxic "forever chemical" called trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in cereal products across 16 European countries. The most contaminated food items were breakfast cereals, with average concentrations 100 times higher than those found in tap water.
The study's findings suggest that TFA, a byproduct of Pfas chemicals used in pesticides, has infiltrated a wide range of everyday foods and drinks. The toxic chemical was detected in not only wheat-based products but also sweet treats like gingerbread, pasta, croissants, wholemeal bread, refined bread, and flour.
Pfas are a group of synthetic chemicals that have been widely used since the 1950s. Known as "forever chemicals" due to their ability to persist for hundreds or thousands of years in soil, water, and other environments, they pose significant threats to human health and the environment. Recent studies have linked Pfas exposure to various diseases, including cancer.
TFA has been specifically identified as a reproductive toxin, capable of harming human fertility, fetal development, thyroid function, liver health, and immune system responses. Despite this, governments currently do not monitor TFA in food, leaving consumers with unknown levels of exposure.
The PAN study analyzed 65 conventional cereal products from various countries and found that nearly all (81.5%) contained detectable levels of TFA. Wheat-based products were significantly more contaminated than other types of cereals.
The highest levels of contamination were found in Irish breakfast cereal, followed by Belgian wholemeal bread, German wholemeal bread, and French baguette. The widespread presence of this toxic chemical highlights the urgent need for immediate action to ban Pfas pesticides and prevent further food chain contamination.
Campaigners are urging governments to set stricter safety limits for TFA and to take decisive action to protect public health and the environment. As one PAN policy officer noted, "We cannot expose children to reprotoxic chemicals. This demands immediate action."
just saw that toxic 'forever chemical' TFA is in some breakfast cereals 
i mean what's next? food manufacturers gotta get their act together and use safer stuff 
it's not like we don't know about Pfas already, but still... need to be more vigilant 
. It's crazy how toxic trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) has been found in so many common breakfast foods. I mean, I'm all for convenience and affordability, but not at the cost of our health! 
. The fact that it's affecting human fertility and thyroid function is just unacceptable 
. And what's even more disturbing is that governments aren't monitoring TFA levels in food yet 
. It's like they're expecting us to take a risk with our bodies without any warning signs. We need stricter safety limits ASAP 
. Can't we just have clean, healthy food options for once?! 
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ASAP!!! 
it's like, what even is that? and that it's found in stuff we eat every day? 
gotta make some noise about this... we can't just sit back and let our kids get exposed to something that can harm their fertility 
my kid needs a safe childhood too, not some toxic 'forever chemical' messing with her thyroid function and fertility 
I'm not surprised to hear that toxic 'forever chemical' is in our breakfast cereals. It's like they're just dumping a whole bunch of crap into the food supply and hoping no one notices. I mean, who cares if you eat TFA every morning, right? Your body will just magically deal with it... NOT. 
But seriously, this is super worrying. I mean, we're already talking about cancer and reproductive issues linked to Pfas exposure... and governments aren't even monitoring TFA in food? That's just not cool 
.
. i mean, what's next? is there some new 'forever' chemical in our food that's going to make us all super fertile or something? lol just kidding. seriously though, shouldn't governments be monitoring these things? it's not like we're talking about a tiny little amount of contamination here - we're talking 100 times higher than tap water levels! 
and what's with the lack of regulation on these pesticides anyway? shouldn't we have stricter rules in place to protect our food and our health? i'm just saying, a lot of people are going to be pretty upset about this when they find out... 
. Seriously though, if we can't even trust the food we're eating, what's safe anymore? This is getting out of hand 
anyway, idc what these campaigners say, food is food, it's not like we're gonna poison ourselves just cuz there's a lil bit of TFA in our oats 
. and let's be real, our grandparents ate way more than this stuff and didn't die or anything... like, i'm not saying thats true but ppl need to chill. governments are prob doin what they can and we should support them 
. banning pfas pesticides is a big step tho, gotta protect those kids 
.
... I mean, what's next? are we gonna find out that our favorite energy drinks contain lead too 
? and the worst part is, they don't even monitor for TFA in food so who knows how much damage we've already done to ourselves 
. our health and the environment are worth fighting for 
. It's not like it's a new issue either, we've been hearing about Pfas for years and now we find out it's in our breakfast cereals too?! 
The fact that governments aren't even monitoring these levels is insane... what if our kids are already sick because of this?! 
.
. I mean, think about all those kids eatin' these cereals every morning without even knowin' they're ingestin' poison! 
️ Like, seriously, who's with me on this?!? 
and people r gettin exposed thru their breakfast lol 