A new study by Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN) has found widespread contamination of cereal-based foods across Europe with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a toxic “forever chemical” formed when PFAS-containing pesticides break down in soil. On average, levels detected in breakfast cereals were 100 times higher than those found in tap water.
Researchers tested 65 common cereal products from 16 European countries, including bread, pasta, croissants, flour and sweets. TFA was detected in over 80% of samples, with wheat-based foods showing the highest contamination. The most polluted products were Irish breakfast cereals, followed by Belgian and German wholemeal bread, then French baguettes.
PFAS chemicals have been widely used since the 1950s and can take centuries to degrade, allowing them to accumulate in soil and water. TFA is considered reprotoxic — linked to reduced fertility and risks to foetal development — and may also affect thyroid, liver and immune function. Despite this, governments do not currently monitor TFA levels in food.
Campaigners say the findings highlight the need to ban PFAS pesticides and set stricter safety limits. PAN warns that most people are likely exposed through both food and drinking water.
Although the UK was not included in the study, PFAS use remains common there, with 27 identified PFAS pesticide ingredients still approved — six classified as highly hazardous. Researchers warn that contamination could extend to British food supplies unless action is taken.
