A recent study of California data on pesticide contamination in the state’s produce crops found widespread per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) residues in numerous fruits. Concerns about the presence of chemicals in Americans’ food have escalated in recent years, amplified by warnings about the role of food quality in the chronic disease epidemic chronicled by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. A more extensive study of these chemicals is required, but cautious diners can take steps to avoid them.
Diamonds (and PFAS) are Forever
Many PFAS are classified as “forever chemicals” that persist in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years without breaking down. Many of these substances can accumulate in the human body, making them especially troublesome for children and women, whose bodies are more sensitive to potential harms. PFAS have been implicated as potential endocrine disruptors that may interfere with sensitive reproductive function. They have also been linked to cancer, immune suppression, and developmental toxicity.
Thousands of PFAS have been identified. Most are used in consumer products (including Teflon frying pans and pizza boxes), pharmaceuticals, electronics, and numerous industrial applications. The study of California data focused on PFAS pesticides directly applied to crops to increase yields. Insects are drawn to berries and fruits for the same reasons humans are – they like sweets. To preserve crop yields, PFAS insecticides are more commonly used on fruits like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, and nectarines.
The study found PFAS in 37% of non-organic, conventionally grown California produce samples. A total of 17 PFAS pesticide residues were detected in 40 produce types. This included 90% of nectarines, plums, and peaches sampled, which were tainted with traces of the fungicide fludioxonil, and 80% of cherries, strawberries, and grapes, which were commonly found to contain more than 4 different pesticides on each piece of fruit tested. Since California produces more than half of the produce eaten in the US, the study revealed just how ubiquitous these chemicals have become in Americans’ grocery stores.
Dystopian Food Supplies Abound
In addition to direct application of PFAS to produce by farmers, the EPA has identified additional layers of PFAS contamination from the practice of spreading sewage sludge on agricultural lands. Cows that eat grass in PFAS-contaminated soil retain the chemicals in their meat and milk; poultry carry PFAS in their meat and eggs.
This prevalence of relatively under-tested chemicals in modern food supplies reflects the modern dependence on technologies for food production that often outpace the collection of data on the toxicity of individual compounds, let alone the potential interactions of these accumulated substances in the human body. Until recently, the world has had its eyes focused (by globalists and Gretas) on the supposedly deadly compound called carbon dioxide that humanity is told will destroy planetary life in a decade. MAHA has drawn newfound attention to the actual ecotoxins that may harm children and young mothers in the here and now. This will lead to more extensive testing of the toxic effects of both new and existing chemicals, especially those used directly in food production.
Pending that scientific inquiry, there are several lessons from the California testing for parents packing their children's lunches. Where possible, buying organic fruits is a safer alternative to the high-PFAS offenders such as strawberries, blueberries, and nectarines. For those customers who cannot find or afford organic varieties, experts warn it is still better to eat fresh conventional fruits and vegetables than to dine on ultra-processed foods.
Prevention is the Best Protection
Washing fruit thoroughly before eating is a sensible practice that should be employed regardless of organic status. And many of the products tested revealed no PFAS at all, including sweet potatoes, sweet corn, watermelon, mushrooms, cauliflower, tomatoes, cantaloupe, avocados, and summer and winter squash. Grocery shoppers should remember these varieties and may buy them with less concern than the big offenders like strawberries.
Revelations about potential poisons in foods can create both anxiety and confusion. This is compounded by growing concerns about the nearly universal presence of microplastics in air, water, and food supplies, which accumulate in the brain, heart, lungs, and reproductive systems. Yet forewarned is forearmed. Polls show younger generations are more likely to parse ingredient labels than older Americans – there is hope for the future.
There is hope on the horizon because the first steps are being taken to effect real change: public education and customer selections that favor fresh (avoiding preservatives) and organic options will pivot markets to adopt practices that reduce PFAS applications and human exposures. MAHA is having a profound impact on consumer awareness.
California Dreamin’ (of Cleaner Foods)
This means more Americans will pay higher prices for healthier foods to avoid future healthcare costs and potential illness. Meanwhile, conventional farmers using these unnatural chemical tools will witness their profit margins dwindle and shift to producing what customers demand – healthier, more trustworthy foods.
California has attracted criticism for its high taxes and costs of living, prompting many residents to flee. Now the state’s agricultural backbone is threatened by declining profit margins due to consumers spooked by PFAS and other food contaminants.
For decades, climate alarmists have howled histrionically about the perils of greenhouse gases, and governments have channeled trillions of dollars into renewables manufacturing that spews ecotoxins into the environment. The MAHA phenomenon has refocused attention on toxic substances rather than innocuous carbon. The future promises to seek “net-zero poisons” rather than “net-zero carbon dioxide.”
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