A new study has found widespread contamination of breakfast cereals and other grain-based foods in Europe with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) – a toxic “forever chemical” that forms when pesticides containing PFAS break down in soil. Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN) reported that average TFA concentrations in cereal products were 100 times higher than levels found in tap water.
Researchers analysed 65 conventional cereal products from 16 European countries, detecting TFA in 81.5% of samples. Wheat-based foods were most contaminated, with the highest levels found in Irish breakfast cereal, followed by Belgian and German wholemeal bread and French baguettes. Contamination was also found in pasta, croissants, flour, and even sweets.
PFAS chemicals have been widely used since the 1950s and are extremely persistent, remaining in the environment for centuries. TFA, one of their breakdown products, is classified as reprotoxic, with studies linking it to fertility issues, foetal development problems, and negative effects on thyroid, liver and immune functions.
Campaign groups are urging governments to ban PFAS pesticides entirely and introduce stricter safety standards for TFA, noting that the chemical is not routinely monitored in food. PAN Europe warned that exposure occurs through both food and drinking water, calling for immediate action to prevent further contamination.
Although the UK was not part of the study, PFAS pesticides are still widely used there, raising concerns that similar risks could exist in British food supply chains.
