Toxic chemicals that are thought to weaken the immune system have been identified in more than half of the fruit, veg and spices consumed in the UK, according to analysis of Government figures. Strawberries were found to contain the highest levels of these PFAS, or “forever chemicals “, with 95 per cent of the samples analysed being contaminated. This was followed by 61 per cent of grape samples tested, 56 per cent of cherry samples, 42 per cent of spinach samples and 38 per cent of the tomatoes. Forever chemicals, or PFAS, are human-made substances that have been widely used since the 1940s in a range of everyday products and industrial processes. They are nicknamed as such because they are virtually indestructible and do not break down in the environment. The discovery that forever chemicals are so widespread in common, nutritious farm produce provides further evidence of the extent to which they have become embedded in nature and the food chain. It comes after research that
UK rivers and fish also contain high levels of forever chemicals . The chemicals are found in pesticides – assumed to be the primary source of them in fruit and veg – as well as in a wide variety of everyday products, where they are used to make them stain and water-resistant. The government tested about 3,300 samples of food and drink available in the UK for residues of 401 pesticides. Percentage of fruit and veg samples containing PFAS pesticides: Strawberries – 95 per cent Grapes – 61 per cent Cherries – 56 per cent Spinach – 42 per cent Tomatoes – 38 per cent Peaches/nectarines – 38 per cent Cucumber – 22 per cent Apricots – 20 per cent Beans – 15 per cent Spices – 8 per cent Cabbage – 7 per cent Lettuce – 7 per cent Potatoes – 2 per cent Apples – 2 per cent Source: Pan UK/Environment Agency The Pesticide Action Network UK (Pan UK) has analysed the results and found that, overall, 56.4 per cent of samples tested contained a residue of pesticides they were testing, although only 1.8 per cent contained a pesticide residue above this legal level. Furthermore, the UK’s Health and Safety Executive has found that, even when a food breaches the legal limit, it “rarely finds a likely risk to the health of the people who have eaten the food”. But while the chemicals only breach legal limits in just under 2 per cent of cases, the finding of just how widespread they are in common, nutritious foods has raised concerns, as the true dangers they pose to human and animal health are still little understood. Pan UK and others who are concerned by forever chemicals are worried about the cumulative effects of consuming them and point out that far too little is known about them to be confident about the risks they pose. “The maximum limits do not guarantee the quantity of pesticide found in the food is safe and do not take into account the many other routes of potential PFA exposure, such as plastic food packaging, drinking water and a wide range of household products,” said Nick Mole, from Pan UK. “Given the growing body of evidence linking PFAs to serious diseases such as cancer, it is deeply worrying that UK consumers are being left with no choice but to ingest these chemicals, some of which may remain in their bodies long into the future. The health effects of forever chemicals in humans are still little understood but there is growing evidence that they pose a wide range of risks. Read Next Warnings of bedbug influx fuelled by summer travel and
Paris Olympics While the health effects of forever chemicals are still unclear, scientific studies have raised significant concerns that they could increase cholesterol and weaken the immune system. Other studies have found an increased risk of thyroid disease and of reproductive harms . Other studies have even suggested a link to
cancer – although the findings in these studies have been varied, conducted in animals and based on small sample sizes. As a result, there is still a good deal of uncertainty about this risk, in particular. Dr Shubhi Sharma, from Chem Trust, which campaigns to protect humans and animals from harmful chemicals, said: “PFAs are a group of entirely human-made chemicals that didn’t exist on the planet a century ago and have now contaminated every single corner. “No-one gave their consent to be exposed to these harmful chemicals, we haven’t had the choice to opt out, and now we have to live with this toxic legacy for decades to come. A Defra spokesperson said: “We set strict limits on the pesticides residue levels in both food for consumers and feed for animals. These limits are set to protect public health and are set below the level considered to be safe for people to eat as well as applying to both food produced in the UK and those imported from other countries.” The forthcoming National Action Plan on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (NAP) will set out the government’s ambition to support pesticide users to maximise ‘non-chemical control’ approaches.