It’s no secret that many of our favorite foods contain a variety of chemicals that can pose serious health risks.
This month, Consumer Reports, the watchdog group currently calling on the Department of Agriculture to pull lunches from the National School Lunch Program, found that pesticide contamination was rampant in several products, both conventional and organic. Pesticides, the group said, “posed significant risks” in 20 percent of the foods they examined, including peppers, blueberries, green beans, potatoes and strawberries. The green beans, in particular, contained residues of a pesticide that has been banned from use on the vegetable for more than a decade. And imported products, specifically some from Mexico, would likely carry particularly high levels of pesticide residues.
In addition to pesticides, there has been growing concern about PFAS, short for polyfluoroalkyl substances. Dubbed the “forever chemicals,” PFASs are a group of synthetic chemical compounds that have been used in industrial and consumer products since the 1940s for their ability to resist grease, oil, water, and heat. Although chemicals are useful in food packaging and cookware, they are harmful to human health and our environment. PFAS take at least a century to break down in the human body, and even longer in the environment. Prolonged exposure to and consumption of PFAS also contributes to an increased risk of cancer, autoimmune disease, thyroid problems, and other health problems.
Unfortunately, PFASs are widespread in our food, specifically in some produce items, packaged foods and seafood, and even in our drinking water. Today, more than 97% of the national population has PFAS in their bodies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To make matters worse, human exposure to PFAS has become increasingly difficult to assess with the creation of new substances in recent years. PFASs are nearly impossible to avoid, many experts have said. There is also more research into chemicals, both new and existing.
In 2020, CR tested 47 bottled waters, including 35 still and 12 carbonated, for four heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) along with 30 PFAS chemicals. Most non-carbonated drinks had detectable levels of PFAS, but only two brands, Tourmaline Spring and Deer Park, exceeded the 1 part per billion health guideline set by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Both brands later refuted the findings: Tourmaline Spring said the levels of PFAS in its bottled water are below levels set by the International Bottled Water Association, while Nestlé, which owns Deer Park , claimed that a recent test of its watermark revealed “undetectable levels.” of PFAS.
Many of the CR carbonated beverages tested contained measurable amounts of PFAS. Perrier Natural Sparkling Mineral Water, La Croix Natural Sparkling Water, Canadian Dried Lime and Lemon Sparkling Water, Polish Zesty Spring Lime Sparkling Water, Blackberry Sparkling Water, Polar Natural Seltium Water and Topo Chico Natural Mineral Water had PFAS levels greater than 1 part per billion.
Outside of bottled water, PFASs have also affected sports drinks. Prime Hydration, the controversial energy drink brand founded by internet personalities Logan Paul and KSI, was named in a 2023 class action lawsuit alleging the brand’s drinks contain PFAS. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California, alleged that the amount of PFAS found in Prime Hydration during independent testing was “three times the EPA’s recommended lifetime health warning for ‘potable water”. It also accused the brand of fraudulently marketing its drinks as healthy.
On April 18, a motion to dismiss was heard. In it, Prime Hydration argued that the plaintiff failed to allege “cognizable injuries” along with “facts showing a concrete (and) imminent threat of future harm.”
Paul responded to the lawsuit in a three-minute TikTok video posted on Wednesday.
“First of all, anyone can sue anyone at any time who doesn’t live up to the demand,” he said. “And in this case, it’s not … a person conducted a randomized study and provided no evidence to support any of their claims.”
“This is not a recreational operation. We use the top bottle makers in the United States. All your favorite beverage brands … use these companies. If the product is served in plastic, they make a bottle for them.”
Paul stated that Prime “follows Title 21 of the Code of Regulations for (polyethylene terephthalate) and all other types of bottles.” According to the United States Code, Title 21 “made it unlawful to manufacture adulterated or misbranded food or drugs in the territories or the District of Columbia and provided [a] penalty for violations”. Many domestic beverage companies use polyethylene terephthalate (PET) because it is a recyclable, “clear, durable and versatile” plastic, according to the American Beverage Association.
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Measures have recently been issued to limit PFAS contamination. On April 10, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the first legally enforceable national drinking water standard that would protect communities from exposure to PFAS. That said, the new regulations do not apply to all public drinking water systems in the US and will take several years to take effect.
In the meantime, consumers can limit their PFAS intake by testing their tap water with a home test kit obtained from a certified laboratory or through a local environmental agency, such as the Water Database of the EWG faucet. It is important to note that boiling or disinfecting water will not rid it of “chemicals forever.” But using certain faucet filters and even a countertop filter and water pitcher filter will certainly do.
Regarding how to reduce exposure to PFAS in food and household products, the PFAS-REACH (Research, Education, and Action for Community Health) project, funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, provided guidance on their official website. Some notable tips include looking for the ingredient polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other “fluoro” ingredients on product labels, avoiding non-stick cookware, and boycotting takeout containers.
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