Forever Chemicals Lurk in Popular Foods, Study Suggests

Forever chemicals, formally known as PFAS, are showing up in more and more places these days — including within the human body. And a recent study offers some indication as to how they might have gotten there, pointing to certain categories of foods as being associated with higher levels of the substances in question.

Some of the foods found there are about what you’d expect — including chips and pork. But the study also reveals that some things that you might be eating or drinking with an eye on your health could also play a part.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, explored the effects of food and drink consumption as they related to forever chemicals in a group of young adults. The study’s authors point to “tea (combined sweetened and unsweetened), pork, sports drinks, nut and seed butters, snack chips and bottled water” as some of the foods and drinks associated with higher levels of PFAS.

As the study’s lead author, Hailey Hampson, told The Guardian, the study is intended to open the door for further research rather than being the final word on the subject. “The point is to highlight that we need more testing of these foods, and this gives us an avenue to say, ‘OK, these foods may have higher levels of PFAS so we should do more targeted monitoring of them,’” Hampson said.

EPA Announces Proposal to Classify Nine “Forever Chemicals” as Hazardous

The proposal would have a positive effect on cleanup efforts

This isn’t the first instance of research illustrating just how widespread forever chemicals are. And it also stands as one more sign of how pervasive they may be — and how eating nominally healthy foods might have unintended consequences.