Europeans are increasingly exposed to PFAS, or ‘forever chemicals’, through their food. PFAS are deliberately sprayed on crops to increase the effectiveness of pesticides, although farmers are not always aware of them because they are not always explicitly stated on the products they use.
‘Forever chemicals’ are almost impossible or very difficult to break down in nature or in our bodies. Some PFAS can damage the immune system and cause cancer and have a harmful effect on the environment. As part of the Green Deal, the European Union wants to phase out the use of PFAS chemicals.
Of the 20 EU countries surveyed, PFAS chemicals were found most often in Belgium and the Netherlands. The volume of fruit contaminated with PFAS grew by 220% between 2011 and 2021.