Cereal killer: PFAS found in breakfast items, bread across Europe

Brussels (dpa) – A so-called forever chemical or PFAS linked to toxic effects on organs and reproduction is present at "high levels" in everyday cereal products sold across Europe, according to new research. PAN Europe, which campaigns against pesticides containing PFAS, said that the first study of its kind, testing 66 cereal items sold in 16 countries, showed "average concentrations" of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to be 107 times those found in tap water. "Levels of TFA exceeded the default maximum residue limit for reprotoxic or hormone-disrupting substances in 81.8% of the samples," said Angeliki Lysimachou, PAN Europe’s head of science and policy. The items included not just breakfast cereals but also sweets, pasta, croissants, bread and flour and were tested at the Institut Dr. Wagner near Graz in Austria. Three of the five products with the highest level of the contaminant were found in Ireland, including the popular breakfast cereal Weetabix, a Nestlé brand and one sold by local supermarket chain SuperValu. Other brands to feature in the top 10 were Belgian biscuit Speculoos and bread Boulot d’Abbaye. "The origin of the flour could not be known for the majority of products, as this information is generally lacking in the packaging of industrial cereal-based products," PAN Europe explained in its December 4 report, giving an insight into food industry and commodity supply chains. "As food authorities do not monitor TFA in foods, this is the first study of its kind at the EU level," according to PAN Europe, which previously found the chemical in wine and tap water. "Our findings underscore the urgent need for an immediate ban of PFAS pesticides to stop further contamination of the food chain," said PAN Europe's Salomé Roynel. Additional weight could come from across the Atlantic, with the December 5 publication by the American Medical Association (AMA) of research warning about the dangers of forever chemicals – sometimes called PFAS, short for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. "Exposure to single and mixtures of PFAS was associated with higher odds of ED [endocrine disruption] among women," warned the Harvard Medical School-led research team. The following information is not intended for publication dpa spr coh

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