Potentially Harmful Chemical TFA Detected in European Bread and Pasta

Recent laboratory analyses have revealed the widespread presence of trifluoroacetate (TFA), a chemical considered potentially hazardous to reproductive health, in a variety of staple grain-based foods across Europe, including bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals. Environmental researchers have highlighted that TFA contamination predominantly originates from the breakdown of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), which are commonly used as active and auxiliary ingredients in herbicides.

According to findings presented by environmental organizations, TFA has been consistently detected in European food products made from grains such as wheat, rye, oats, maize, and rice. These products encompass both conventionally grown and organic options, including bread, noodles, biscuits, breakfast cereals, and flour. Laboratory testing conducted in Austria and other European nations found traces of TFA in all sampled products, regardless of their production method.

Further research indicated that TFA is highly persistent in the environment, accumulating particularly in water sources. Previous studies have already documented its presence in Austrian tap water, mineral water, rivers, and groundwater. This year, wine samples from recent vintages were also tested, with results showing TFA concentrations up to one hundred times higher than those found in water, suggesting that the chemical is efficiently absorbed and retained by plants.

Extending the investigation beyond Austria, the European Pesticide Action Network (PAN Europe) coordinated the analysis of 66 grain-based food samples from 16 European countries. The samples included popular food items such as rolls, baguettes, and spaghetti from nations including Austria, Italy, France, and Switzerland. Laboratory results showed that 54 out of 66 samples contained measurable levels of TFA. The highest concentrations were identified in breakfast cereals, with some samples containing up to 360 micrograms of TFA per kilogram. This figure is approximately one hundred times greater than the average TFA content found in European drinking water.

Wheat-based products exhibited the most significant TFA contamination, with levels up to eight times higher than those found in products made from other grains. Experts suggest that this trend may result from the more frequent or intensive use of PFAS-containing pesticides in wheat cultivation, or from wheat plants' greater capacity to absorb or accumulate TFA.

The potential health implications of TFA intake from food remain under review. According to earlier guidelines set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the detected levels might be considered within safe limits. However, more recent standards, such as those adopted in certain regions of Belgium, indicate that the tolerable daily intake for adults could be exceeded by 1.5 times, and for young children by up to four times, based on typical consumption patterns of these grain products.

Environmental health specialists and advocacy groups have called for immediate regulatory action to restrict the use of PFAS-based pesticides. They emphasize that the continued accumulation of TFA in food and the environment poses an unacceptable risk, particularly to children and pregnant women. Recommendations include the implementation of an EU-wide ban on PFAS pesticides and the establishment of systematic monitoring for TFA in food products and environmental samples to better safeguard public health.