High levels of 'forever chemical' found in cereal products across Europe – study

Toxic 'Forever Chemicals' Found in Cereal Products Across Europe

A disturbing new study has revealed alarming levels of a toxic chemical known as "forever chemicals" in cereal products across Europe. The most contaminated food was found to be breakfast cereal, with average concentrations 100 times higher than in tap water.

The study, conducted by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN), analyzed 65 conventional cereal products purchased in 16 European countries and found that a staggering 81.5% of samples contained the chemical trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). TFA is produced when pesticides containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals break down into the soil, and its detection in food products has sparked fears about human health and environmental impact.

TFA is a known reproductive toxin, capable of harming human fertility, fetal development, thyroid function, liver health, and immune system. Campaigners are urging governments to set stricter safety limits for TFA and ban PFAS pesticides altogether, as they persist in the environment and can remain toxic for centuries.

Wheat products were found to be significantly more contaminated than other cereal-based products, with Irish breakfast cereal topping the list of most heavily contaminated, followed by Belgian wholemeal bread and German wholemeal bread. The chemical was also detected in a range of other foods, including pasta, croissants, cheese scones, gingerbread, and even baguettes.

Experts warn that exposure to TFA through food and drinking water is a widespread problem, with no one being completely safe from its effects. PAN Europe's head of science and policy, Angeliki Lysimachou, says: "We cannot expose children to reprotoxic chemicals. This demands immediate action."

The study's findings have significant implications for the UK, where PFAS pesticides are widely used in agriculture. With 27 known hazardous PFAS active ingredients in use in UK pesticides, campaigners fear that the same toxic chemicals may be present in food products across the country.

As governments struggle to address this growing health crisis, one thing is clear: urgent action is needed to protect public health and prevent further environmental contamination by these toxic "forever chemicals."

idk what all the fuss is about 100x higher than tap water sounds like a pretty good deal to me i mean who doesn't love a free cocktail of toxins with their breakfast cereal? and whats wrong with a little reproductive toxin or thyroid function damage? its not like were gonna die from it or something besides, what's the big deal about PFAS chemicals? they're just pesticides right? we use them in our daily lives all the time, why should food be any different

OMG, 81.5% of cereal products in Europe have forever chemicals ?! That's insane! I'm not surprised though, considering how much pesticides are used in farming. It's like, we need to get our act together and set some stricter safety limits for these chemicals ASAP. I mean, who wants to eat food that's basically a ticking time bomb for their health? Wheat products were the most contaminated, but pasta, croissants, cheese scones... all of it is still off-limits to me. As a parent, it's terrifying to think about our kids being exposed to these toxic chemicals. We need more research and stricter regulations, like, now!

i'm FREAKING OUT about this study!!! forever chemicals in cereal?!?! how did we let this happen?!?! it's like they're hiding in our food 24/7! i swear, i'm gonna start buying oats and quinoa just to be safe... or maybe even go vegan altogether? anyway, this is super serious stuff. like, our kids are eating this toxic crap every day. what's the point of having a food safety system if they're not actually doing anything about it?!?! governments need to step up their game ASAP!

OMG I'm still getting used to buying cereal for my kids without thinking about the potential poison in it . Remember when we had cornflakes that were actually made from corn? Now it's like they're using whatever is cheapest and easiest to process, even if it means adding some toxic chemicals. What's wrong with governments? Can't they just make sure our food is safe for us to eat? I swear, back in my day we didn't have all these fancy chemicals in our food... everything was just so much simpler.

I'm really concerned about this new study findings on forever chemicals in cereal products. It's crazy that 81.5% of the samples contained TFA, and wheat products were the most contaminated ️. What's even more worrying is that these chemicals are not just found in food but also in drinking water . I think it's totally reasonable to demand stricter safety limits for TFA and a ban on PFAS pesticides altogether . We can't afford to wait around for governments to act, especially considering the long-term effects of exposure to TFA . As a parent, it's heartbreaking to think that our kids might be exposed to these toxic chemicals without even realizing it . The UK needs to take immediate action to address this growing health crisis and protect its citizens .

Ugh, I'm literally freaking out about this news . Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in cereal products? That's just crazy talk! I remember when I was a kid, we used to have breakfast cereal and it was safe to eat. Now it seems like everything is toxic somehow .

I'm not sure what's more disturbing, the fact that 81.5% of cereal samples contained TFA or that wheat products are the most contaminated . Irish breakfast cereal? That's just gross. And it's not just cereal, pasta, croissants, and even baguettes have TFA in them too... what's next?

Governments need to step up their game and set stricter safety limits for TFA ASAP . We can't keep exposing our kids to these toxic chemicals and expect them to be okay with it . And can we please just go back to the good old days when our food was safe to eat without worrying about some super toxic chemical ruining our breakfast ?

omg what's up with our breakfast cereals i mean i know we've been hearing about pfas chemicals for ages but 81.5% of cereal products having trifluoroacetic acid in them is wild even tap water has less? like shouldn't we be getting some kind of warning label on our oats or something? and it's not just cereals either pasta and baguettes too?! what's going on with our food system? can't we trust the people who make our breakfast anymore?

Ugh I'm so annoyed by this news! Like, can't we just have clean food for once?! I mean, who wants to eat something that's been contaminated with toxic 'forever chemicals' just because some pesticides were used on the wheat or whatever? It's not right, fam . And now they're saying it affects reproductive health and thyroid function? That's just... no thanks . I'm all about using natural methods to clean our homes and bodies, like vinegar and baking soda . Why can't we do the same with our food?!

I'm getting really worried about our breakfast habits, you know? I mean, who knew that something as seemingly harmless as cereal could be so toxic? It's like, we're basically poisoning ourselves every time we pour a bowl of Frosted Flakes or Corn Flakes. And the fact that it's not just limited to Ireland and Belgium but is also found in UK food products? Like, what even are PFAS chemicals?! They sound like something out of a sci-fi movie! I think we need some major changes in the way our food is produced and regulated. We can't keep putting human health at risk just to save a few bucks on pesticides. Something needs to be done ASAP, or else we'll have a whole generation of people with fertility issues, thyroid problems... it's not worth it!

omg have u guys been eating cereal like it's 2020?? they just found out that most cereals across europe are contaminated with forever chemicals like what even is a normal amount of tfa? 100 times higher than tap water?! no thanks i'm sticking to oatmeal or somethin. and its not like the gov doesnt know about this stuff already... they just dont care enough to do something about it ugh, and now theyre saying that its a worldwide problem?? thats just great gotta keep an eye on ur food fam

idk why u guys are so surprised cereal's been contaminated for ages, like literally every single food product can have some level of toxins in it. newsflash: we're all just a bunch of tiny humans trying to survive on this toxic planet . and btw, who's gonna regulate the crap they put in our food? governments are always busy with something else . i'm not saying it's okay that people made some chemicals that'll destroy human fertility, but let's be real, we're all getting old anyway . 100 times higher than tap water? lol like what's the worst that could happen?

OMG u guys 4real!!! just heard about this crazy new study that found forever chemicals in cereal products across europe idk what's more shocking - the fact that 81.5% of samples contain the chemical or that it's actually 100 times higher than tap water?! like isn't this already a thing we're supposed to know about? shouldn't our governments be on top of this by now? i mean i get it, pesticide use is bad but come on, can't they just set some stricter limits or something? and another thing, wheat products are literally the most contaminated?! that's wild. gotta spread the word about this one!

omg this is crazy! like what even is forever chemical? and that it's in our cereal products?! i'm literally freaking out for all the kids who eat breakfast every morning thinking they're getting a healthy start to their day, but nope they're actually exposing themselves to toxic chemicals . we need stricter safety limits and an end to these pesticides NOW! my heart goes out to all the families affected by this and i hope our governments listen up and take action

I'm not buying it. What's with all these 'forever chemicals' showing up in our food? Can we trust the study results from Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN)? How do they even get those samples from 16 countries? And what's with the lack of concrete data on human health impacts? Average concentrations 100 times higher than tap water is one thing, but actual rates and effects on fertility/fetal development/liver health... that sounds like more spin to me . Where are the studies on these 'forever chemicals' in humans specifically? What's the timeline for governments to set stricter safety limits or ban PFAS pesticides altogether? It seems way too good (or bad?) to be true

omg u guys i was making oatmeal for breakfast yesterday and i had no idea they were putting all those forever chemicals in our cereal i mean i know we've been talking about microplastics and plastic pollution but this is like a whole different level of gross... these scientists just did a study on it and 81.5% of the cereals they tested had toxic stuff in them like that's crazy! and its not just cereal, apparently even baguettes can have it i think we need to start paying more attention to what we're eating and where our food comes from... it's time for some serious change

This study is super concerning, you know? I mean, cereal is something that's supposed to be a quick and easy breakfast option for the whole family. But it turns out, it might actually be more of a ticking time bomb for our health and the environment.

The fact that 81.5% of these cereal products contained TFA is just crazy. And it's not like we're talking about some obscure chemical here - this stuff has been linked to all sorts of serious health problems, from reproductive issues to thyroid problems. It's like, what even is the point of eating a breakfast cereal if you're just going to be poisoning yourself with toxic chemicals?

And it's not just the cereal products themselves that are the problem - it seems like PFAS pesticides are basically everywhere in our environment right now. I mean, did we really need 27 hazardous PFAS active ingredients in use in UK pesticides? It just feels so... unnecessary.

I think what's most worrying here is that this isn't a new problem or something that we've been aware of for a while. We're only starting to realize the extent of the issue now. Which means, hopefully, governments will take some serious action soon to protect public health and prevent further environmental contamination.

I'm really worried about our food system right now... These forever chemicals are literally everywhere - in our cereal boxes, our bread, even our baguettes. It's like we're playing with fire without even realizing it. I mean, 81.5% of these cereal products tested positive for TFA? That's insane. And the fact that it's a known reproductive toxin is just horrifying. What kind of world are we living in where we're exposing our children to toxic chemicals and just assuming it's okay?

I think this study should be a wake-up call for governments everywhere, especially the UK. We need stricter safety limits on TFA and an end to PFAS pesticides altogether. It's not like these companies are going to voluntarily do the right thing - we need regulatory bodies to step in and make some real changes.

And let's not forget about the environmental impact of these chemicals... They persist in the environment for centuries, causing irreparable damage. We're not just talking about human health here; we're talking about the health of our planet. It's time for us to take responsibility and demand better from our leaders.

seriously though, can you believe that our breakfast cereal is literally more toxic than tap water? 100 times higher?! it's like, what even is going on here? i mean, i know PFAS pesticides are bad news, but to see them in our food products is just... no. my heart goes out to all the parents who have been unknowingly serving their kids cereal that's basically ticking time bombs for their health. we need some serious government intervention ASAP!

ugh, you guys , eating cereal for breakfast just got a whole lot more concerning... like I thought we had our priorities straight with clean water, but nope, even that's not safe anymore! 100x more TFA in cereal than tap water? that's insane . and it's not just cereal, pasta, cheese scones, gingerbread... all these foods are contaminated too. what's the deal with PFAS pesticides? can't we just use normal stuff already?