PAN UK data shows toxic PFAS in UK fruit, vegetables and spices

An action plan for a PFAS-free economy has been published by Fidra, CHEMTrust, Marine Conservation Society, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Wildlife and Countryside LINK

Ten different per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) pesticides have been found in fruit, vegetables and spices, according to an analysis of the latest data from the UK government’s Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF).

The Pesticide Action Network (PAN UK)’s research found that strawberries were the worst affected, with 95% of the 120 samples tested by the government in 2022 containing PFAS pesticides.

PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals, also known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they hardly degrade in the natural environment. They can be toxic to both humans and wildlife.

The PRiF tests roughly 2,500 1kg samples of food each year with food items taken from the shelves of supermarkets and other food outlets, meaning that all the food was originally destined for consumers. Grapes, cherries, spinach and tomatoes were also found to contain significant levels of PFAS.

Nick Mole, PAN UK Policy Officer said: “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.

“With some plastic food packaging also contaminated with PFAS, and PFAS present in UK drinking water and soil, we urgently need to develop a better understanding of the health risks and to do everything we can to exclude them from the food chain.”

He added that the UK government’s plans for limiting the negative impacts of PFAS focus on industrial chemicals rather than pesticides. 

Hannah Evans, Project Manager at environmental NGO, Fidra said that the PAN UK findings “re-emphasise the urgent need to address this chemical pollution crisis”.

Fidra, alongside CHEMTrust, Marine Conservation Society, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and Wildlife and Countryside LINK, published a joint action plan in December 2023, outlining seven key steps for transitioning the UK towards a PFAS-free economy, including restricting PFAS use in pesticides.

Evans said: “We are calling on the UK government to take urgent action on these harmful forever chemicals and protect public health, the environment, and our natural resources for generations to come.” 

“No one gave their consent to be exposed to these harmful chemicals, we haven’t had the choice to opt out…”

Dr Shubhi Sharma, Scientific Research Assistant at the CHEM Trust added: “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.”

Dr Patrick Byrne, a reader in hydrology and environmental pollution at Liverpool University said the PAN UK findings were “concerning” yet “unsurprising”.

He said: “There is a lot of evidence of PFAS contamination of crops both through the use of PFAS pesticides but also from the use of sewage sludge [biosolids] containing PFAS as crop fertilisers.

“It’s also likely that runoff of PFAS from agricultural land is leading to contamination of our rivers, lakes and groundwaters.

Byrne added: “In the short-term, the advice to consumers would be to always wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly before eating them. But we also need to re-evaluate the utility of PFAS in pesticides and the many other products used by consumers and in industry. Are they absolutely necessary?”