An investigation conducted across Europe has uncovered widespread contamination of cereal-based foods with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a particularly hazardous forever chemical that enters the food supply through agricultural pesticide use.

The research, conducted by Pesticide Action Network Europe, examined 65 conventional cereal products purchased from 16 countries, representing the first comprehensive EU-level analysis of its kind. The findings reveal that morning staples, like breakfast cereals, contain TFA concentrations approximately 100 times greater than those measured in municipal drinking water.

Detection rates proved remarkably high, with TFA present in over 81% of tested samples. Wheat-based products demonstrated particularly elevated contamination compared to other grain-derived foods.

Irish breakfast cereals registered the most severe levels, followed by Belgian and German wholemeal breads, with French baguettes also showing a significant presence. The chemical also appeared across an extensive range of everyday foods, including pasta, baked goods, flour, and various breakfast items.

Understanding the contamination pathway

TFA forms when pesticides containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) decompose in agricultural soil. This family of synthetic compounds has been integrated into manufacturing processes and consumer goods since the mid-20th century, earning the designation "forever chemicals" due to their extraordinary persistence, potentially remaining in the environment for millennia after disposal.

Their water solubility enables plants to absorb these compounds directly from contaminated soil, creating a direct route into the human food chain. Prior investigations have identified TFA contamination in some water supplies, but this study marks the first systematic examination of cereal products at the European scale.

Health implications raise urgent concerns

The chemical poses particular dangers to reproductive health, with documented potential to compromise fertility and fetal development. Scientific research has additionally established connections to impaired thyroid, liver, and immune system functioning, concerns that extend beyond individual exposure to affect broader public health.

Children face disproportionate risk given their regular consumption of cereal products and their developmental vulnerability to toxic exposures. Scientists emphasize that every tested sample exceeded default safety thresholds for pesticide residues, a finding that health advocates describe as unacceptable for substances known to interfere with reproduction.

Regulatory gaps, policy demands

Current regulatory frameworks highlight a critical weakness, as governments do not systematically monitor TFA levels in food products. This oversight exists despite mounting evidence of widespread contamination and established health risks.

Public health advocates are pressing for two immediate policy changes. First, they demand substantially stricter safety limits for TFA that better reflect its toxicity profile. Second, they call for a comprehensive prohibition of all PFAS-containing pesticides and other TFA sources to prevent further food chain contamination.

The investigation arrives amid growing scientific understanding of PFAS health impacts. Multiple exposure routes, including food, drinking water, and contaminated products, mean populations face cumulative effects from these persistent chemicals.