Bizarre: why isn’t PFAS banned on fruit and vegetables?!

The warnings are flying thick and fast: we’re taking in too much of the unhealthy substance PFAS. That’s why the European Union will soon introduce a ban on the substance in, for example, non-stick pans and clothing. But what won’t PFAS be banned on? Its use on fruit and vegetables. Why not?!

PFAS is a collective name for more than 5,000 substances. All those 5,000 substances have one thing in common: they contain the element fluorine. PFAS have a number of fantastic properties. For example, these substances make products water-, dirt-, grease- and dust-repellent. That’s why they are indispensable in non-stick pans.

Many farmers are also only too happy to use PFAS on the fruit and vegetables they grow. Fluorine pesticides are incredibly powerful agents for combating insects and viruses. Because they are water-repellent, they don’t simply wash away during a heavy rain shower. And although PFAS itself has no antimicrobial properties, it does ensure that other substances remain on the plant.

PFAS is unhealthy

You could almost understand why PFAS is used so much and so often. But it simply isn’t healthy for people to take in large amounts of PFAS. Through Het Voedingscentrum and the Dutch government’s official website, we learn that large amounts of PFAS can damage your immune system, endanger liver function and even cause cancer. Of course, this concerns large amounts of PFAS that you would need to consume over a longer period. But even so. With this information in mind, isn’t it incomprehensible that there is no ban on PFAS on fruit and vegetables? Products that are supposed to be very healthy for us?

Breakdown

What about the biodegradability of PFAS? That can vary considerably from one substance to another. PFAS variants in pesticides turn out to break down easily. They survive in nature for a few weeks and are therefore less harmful. But there is one major drawback: the residues do remain on the skins of fruit and vegetables for a long time. Farmers spray their fruit and vegetables directly with the pesticides. In addition, some non-biodegradable pesticides end up in groundwater, meaning that plants can still become ‘contaminated’ with PFAS through their roots. So it is quite a persistent problem.

Struggle

Right, so PFAS will be banned. That ban will take effect from 2025. It concerns a ban on ‘the production, use, sale and import of more than 10,000 chemical substances’. You can find them in countless products, from (there they are again) non-stick pans to make-up and paint. But we don’t see a ban on PFAS in pesticides. The reason?

The Plant Protection Products and Biocides Act (Wgb) should already provide sufficient safeguards and regulation. Essentially, that law says that European pesticides must not cause adverse effects to people or the environment. Well, it turns out things are rather different in practice. Meanwhile, the Netherlands remains a keen user of PFAS pesticides, and farmers are unaware of any wrongdoing. The Pesticide Action Network Netherlands continues to campaign for a ban on PFAS in pesticides.

What can you do yourself?

Apart from hoping that a ban will still be introduced, there are things you can do yourself to reduce your PFAS intake through fruit and vegetables. Because of their water-repellent properties, you can’t wash PFAS off fruit and vegetable skins. You’ll have more success if you scrub your vitamin-packed produce thoroughly before eating it. You can of course peel it, but then again: you’ll miss out on a lot of vitamins that you get through the skin. Oh, and be alert when it comes to children’s fruit in the supermarket. Some types of fruit appear to contain shockingly high levels of toxic substances… You may prefer to avoid those.

What’s the best thing you can do? Buy as many organic products as possible. Organic crops contain considerably less PFAS than ‘regular’ crops. I know, organic is more expensive than non-organic. But good health is priceless, if you ask me. Frozen fruit also contains less PFAS. And that just happens to be much more affordable.

Also read:

• Fast-food packaging contains life-threatening PFAS
• Did you know this? You should never reuse baking paper
• Entrepreneurs are, to put it mildly, not happy with the new plastic rules

Source: Trouw, ahealthylife.nl, Financieel Dagblad