PFAS in fruit and vegetables?

Reports about residues of PFAS pesticides (poly- and perfluorinated alkyl substances) in fresh fruit and vegetables have been circulating in the media. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) therefore felt compelled to issue a public statement.

In this public comment, the BfR experts state: There is currently no evidence of a health risk for consumers. There is no health risk to consumers in Europe from plant protection products that have been tested and used as intended.

The mere detection of a pesticide residue does not allow any statement to be made about its risk, especially not with regard to PFAS, which are also occasionally used in small quantities as additives in pesticides.

All plant protection products used in the EU and their active ingredients undergo a strict authorisation procedure.

Corresponding "facts" published in various media lack any scientifically comprehensible justification. The BfR points out that the press reports lack essential information, such as details of the analytical methods, their specific limits of quantification and the range of substances analysed.

YOUR PLUS: Our accredited analysis reports contain all the information you need to make a legally compliant assessment. You will receive a technically sound statement from us as to whether your product may be placed on the market.

Author. Dr. Frank Mörsberger

Reference (in German): 

BfR-Mitteilung vom 29. Februar 2024

Autor: Dr. Frank Mörsberger