PFAS (forever chemicals) are now on 40% of all non-organic produce grown in California
A surprising percentage of produce from the nation’s largest supplier contains ‘forever’ pesticides
Nearly 40% of California-grown nonorganic produce has residues from pesticides made from potentially toxic PFAS chemicals that can remain in the body for years.
California supplies nearly half of the vegetables and more than three-quarters of the fruits and nuts eaten in the United States.
“The PFAS pesticide is the active ingredient in these products because it’s effective at killing things — which is the very reason why it’s so concerning to public health and the environment at large,” said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice president for California operations for the Environmental Working Group, or EWG, a health advocacy organization that produced the report published Wednesday.
PFAS have been linked to cancer, obesity, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, decreased fertility, liver damage, hormone disruption and damage to the immune system, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Several of these chemicals can cause harm at levels of a billionth of a gram.
The EWG report found the highest levels of fludioxonil on lemons, at over 1 part per million, followed by peaches, nectarines, pears, plums, blueberries and apricots. In addition, fludioxonil was found on 90% of the tested samples of nectarines, peaches and plums.
“The European Food Safety Authority also considers fludioxonil to be an endocrine-disrupting chemical that has harmed the reproductive system in animals,” said report coauthor Varun Subramaniam, a science analyst at EWG.
Strawberries, for example, were contaminated with 10 different PFAS pesticides. Cherries and peaches contained seven different chemicals — grapes, celery and collards six — and spinach had five.
To date, the Trump administration has approved two PFAS pesticides for use on lettuce, oranges, tomatoes, almonds, peas, and oats and is considering approving a third PFAS pesticide to fight weeds in corn, soybean and wheat crops. In late February, the EPA also announced it is considering an emergency exemption without safety review for the use of a PFAS pesticide on rice.
In fact, various PFAS chemicals have been detected in the blood of 98% of Americans and can be stored for years in different organs in the body, according to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Counties are banning many PFAS
No country has imposed a complete, across-the-board ban on all PFAS yet — the landscape is a patchwork of bans on specific chemicals, specific product categories, or specific uses. Here's a breakdown of where things stand:
150 counties ban PFOA
The Stockholm Convention, signed by more than 150 countries, banned PFOA worldwide in 2020, and added PFHxS (used in firefighting foams, textiles, and cleaning agents) to the banned list in 2022. The U.S. and China are notably not signatories.
European Union
The EU has the most aggressive regulatory posture overall. In February 2023, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands jointly submitted a proposal for a blanket ban on all PFAS chemicals in any application — the broadest restriction ever proposed under REACH, covering approximately 10,000 chemicals. Following multiple delays, the restriction is expected to come into force as part of the upcoming REACH Revision, indicated for Q4 2025 or later.
Meanwhile, EU member states formally adopted a sector-specific restriction banning PFAS in firefighting foams in April 2025.
Individual EU countries moving faster: - Denmark plans to ban PFAS in clothing, shoes, and waterproofing agents for consumers effective July 1, 2025, extended to more consumer products in 2027. - France became one of the first countries to ban PFAS in many consumer products, prohibiting them in cosmetics, textiles, and ski waxes from 2026, with a full ban on all textiles by 2030. - The Netherlands has placed all PFAS on its national substances of very high concern list, requiring companies to minimize PFAS use and prevent emissions.
Japan Japan banned the manufacturing and use of PFOS and PFOA and their related salts, and in 2020 set a temporary target value of 50 parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water.
Canada phasing out PFAS in many products
In March 2025, Canada announced a plan to phase out PFAS in many products starting in 2027, beginning with firefighting foams, then expanding to cosmetics, food packaging, textiles, and medical devices.
United States There is no federal product ban, but the EPA set national drinking water limits on six types of PFAS in 2024 for the first time, and at least 28 states have implemented one or more PFAS laws. At the state level, Washington and Minnesota have enacted laws banning all intentionally added PFAS in consumer products by 2030 and 2032, respectively.
New Zealand New Zealand has specifically targeted PFAS in cosmetic products.
Bottom line: France and Denmark are currently the most aggressive at the national level with broad consumer product bans. The EU-wide universal ban is still working through the legislative process. Most of Asia and Latin America remain largely unregulated beyond the basic Stockholm Convention requirements.