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

The Guardian - World NewsEN 3 min read 100% complete by Helena Horton Environment reporterDecember 4, 2025 at 07:00 AM

AI Summary

medium article 3 min

A recent study by Pesticide Action Network Europe found high levels of the "forever chemical" trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in cereal products across 16 European countries. TFA, a byproduct of PFAS pesticides, was detected in 81.5% of 65 tested samples, including breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, and sweets. The highest concentrations were found in breakfast cereals, with levels 100 times higher than in tap water. TFA is reprotoxic and has been linked to adverse effects on thyroid, liver, and immune functions. Campaigners are urging governments to ban PFAS pesticides and establish stricter safety limits for TFA in food, which is currently not monitored. The study highlights widespread TFA contamination in the European food chain due to pesticide use.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Pfas ×360% Europe ×270% Pesticide Action Network Europe 80% TFA (Trifluoroacetic acid) ×480%

Keywords

forever chemicals 100% pfas 90% tfa 90% cereal products 80% pesticides 70% food contamination 60% european countries 50% health risks 50% reproductive toxicity 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Europe

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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forever chemicals pfas tfa cereal products pesticides food contamination european countries health risks reproductive toxicity

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