Health Farm

This is bad. But what to do? PFAS chemicals have made their way into the US food supply.

The US Food and Drug Administration publicly acknowledged the initial findings of the agency’s investigation into how the “forever chemicals” have been detected in food.

PFAS, short for perfluoroalky and polyfluoroalkyl, is a family of nearly 5,000 synthetic chemicals used by various industries for their ability to repel oil and water.

Manufactured since the 1940s, PFAS chemicals line pizza boxes and fast-food packaging so grease doesn’t seep through, form the non-stick coating on many pans, make fabrics and carpets stain-resistant, and help outdoor gear and clothing repel water.

The chemicals are linked to adverse health impacts, including liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased fertility, high cholesterol, obesity, hormone suppression, and cancer. They easily migrate into the air, dust, food, soil and water, and accumulate in the body.

A study from 2007 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that PFAS chemicals could be detected in the blood of 98% of the US population.

Check your drinking water – considered the most dangerous way people are exposed to PFAS. Install a reverse-osmosis filter to limit exposure.