In recent years, research has found or pointed to the presence of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in a range of staples, products and beverages across the food system.
Among them are kale, eggs, butter, protein powder, milk, ketchup, coffee, canola oil, smoothies, tea, beef, juice drinks and rice. Evidence suggests they’re most widely contaminating carryout food, seafood and even pet food.
So, how can you avoid PFAS in your diet? Well, you can’t.
“It’s almost impossible to shop your way out of contamination,” said Sarah Woodbury, vice-president of policy with Defend Our Health Maine, which has worked on issues around PFAS in the state’s food. “I genuinely do not think there is a way to 100% know what you’re getting into with contamination.”
Even if it may be impossible to avoid the chemicals altogether, there are some steps you can take to reduce your exposure and protect your health.
How are you exposed to PFAS in food?
PFAS are a class of about 15,000 compounds typically used to make products that resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down and accumulate, and are linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, birth defects and other serious health problems.
While regulators have focused on reducing PFAS in water, there is general agreement that food represents the largest exposure route – though it’s not a settled question. No food is totally safe from contamination because PFAS are used across thousands of consumer products and industrial processes, pollution is so widespread and there are myriad entry points in the food system.
The Food and Drug Administration does not have limits in place on PFAS in food. Though it monitors for the chemicals, it uses methodology that public health advocates charge makes it appear as if food is broadly less contaminated than it is.
Among the most serious concerns is sewage sludge, which is used as a cheap alternative to fertilizer on cropland and is thought to universally teem with PFAS. Farms using the substance have been found to have concerning levels of the chemicals in their meat and produce as crops can uptake the compounds.
Water used on crops or for livestock can be contaminated, as can animal feed, while most pesticides contain PFAS.
Processed foods tend to have more PFAS than less processed, research suggests, in part because there are more entry points for the chemicals. Bulk food storage bins are often treated with PFAS, potentially contaminating widely used base ingredients like limonene.
Some individual plastic food containers sold at stores are treated with the chemicals, and though the FDA recently phased out PFAS used in paper packaging products, including “compostable” molded fiber bowls, new PFAS compounds could be approved for use in the products in the future. Moreover, recycled paper, or packaging produced in other countries, often still contain PFAS.
The chemicals are widely used in cookware to prevent food from sticking to pans, utensils, rice cookers, coffee filters and other items. Seafood, meanwhile, is often contaminated because lakes, waterways and the ocean are widely polluted.
Change your consumption habits
Research has found that those who generally eat diets higher in fresh fruits and vegetables may have lower PFAS blood levels. Produce requires less packaging and processing, reducing PFAS entry points. Eating less meat, especially red meat, is also advisable.
“What I’ve been telling people from the get go is don’t eat blood products, and meat and dairy will have more blood than vegetables,” said Stephen Brown, a researcher with Sierra Club Michigan.
A major caveat is that some veggies, especially leafy greens, take up the chemicals, and those grown near sources of PFAS pollution, or in sewage sludge, are likely to be contaminated.
There is no way to know which farms are using sludge, researchers say. Even if there was, there is often no way to know which farms’ milk went into the carton one buys at the store.
Organic foods are better because they should not contain most pesticides, but some farms in Maine found to be contaminated with PFAS from sludge were organic, and farms’ water could be contaminated. And all pasta sauces found to contain PFAS in recent testing were organic.
Research also suggests consuming a variety of foods and beverages can lower PFAS blood levels. Regularly drinking one hypothetically contaminated brand of orange juice can create a real health threat. Switching brands could lower the amount of PFAS consumed.
Eat out less and prepare food at home
Research has found an association between higher PFAS levels in blood and frequently eating out because carryout food requires more packaging and the foods are typically more processed. Some public health advocates have told me they bring their own glass containers to restaurants to carry home leftovers to avoid toxic “doggie bags”.
Conversely, cooking at home has been associated with lower PFAS blood levels. It can be difficult to avoid the chemicals in home cookware, but my story on how to choose nontoxic cookware, utensils and other kitchen items can help one navigate the minefield.
At the store, buying products, like mustard, that are in glass jars instead of plastic when possible also helps avoid potentially PFAS-laden packaging.
Eat a moderate amount of seafood
Saltwater fish may be safer than freshwater US fish because PFAS are more diluted in the ocean than in rivers or lakes, recent research suggests. That’s especially a concern for those who regularly catch and eat seafood, because “there’s a potentially significant exposure coming from that locally caught fish,” said David Andrews, a co-author of the Environmental Working Group study.
People who are fishing should pay attention to states’ do-no-eat advisories, though those are often inadequate.
Recent testing of 26 types of largely saltwater seafood sold fresh at a market in coastal New Hampshire found PFAS in all, with the highest concentrations in shrimp and lobster. Saltwater seafood near urban areas and military bases has also been found to have alarming levels of PFAS, including crabs, bass, oysters and clams from the Chesapeake Bay.
The levels have been so high that I no longer eat food from the Chesapeake or Puget Sound, and rarely from the Great Lakes. I also check Google Maps to determine if oysters on a menu were raised near military bases. If they were, then I avoid them.