A new study has found widespread contamination of European cereal products with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a toxic “forever chemical” formed when PFAS-containing pesticides break down in soil. Researchers from Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Europe reported that average TFA concentrations in cereals were 100 times higher than levels detected in tap water, raising concerns about public exposure, particularly among children.
TFA was found in 81.5% of 65 cereal-based food products sampled across 16 European countries, including breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, flour, croissants, and sweets. Wheat-based foods showed the highest contamination. The most affected products included Irish breakfast cereal, Belgian wholemeal bread, German wholemeal bread, and French baguettes.
PFAS chemicals have been widely used since the 1950s and earn the nickname forever chemicals because they take centuries to degrade. Once they enter soil or water, they can persist for generations, allowing TFA to be absorbed by crops and enter the food chain. TFA is classed as reprotoxic, meaning it may damage fertility and foetal development, and has also been linked to thyroid, liver, and immune system issues.
Campaigners are urging European governments to introduce stricter limits on TFA and to ban PFAS-based pesticides altogether. Currently, TFA levels in food are not routinely monitored.
Salomé Roynel of PAN Europe warned that the findings highlight the need for urgent action. “All people are exposed through food and drinking water,” she said. Angeliki Lysimachou, also of PAN Europe, noted that all detected samples exceeded the default residue safety limit, stressing the risk to children.
Although the UK was not part of the study, PFAS pesticides remain widely used there, suggesting similar risks may exist. With 27 known PFAS pesticide ingredients approved in the UK—six considered highly hazardous—experts say the findings may spark pressure for reforms beyond the EU.
