Every Fish is Contaminated: Greenpeace Warns of Forever Chemicals
Greenpeace Germany had 17 samples of fish, mussels, and crabs from the North and Baltic Seas tested for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) by an independent laboratory. PFAS were detected in each of the samples, with almost half considered health-threatening for children at usual consumption levels. Four samples would not have been safe even for adults. According to the NGO, these results clearly show how significant the environmental problem caused by PFAS is.
PFAS in Edible Fish and Seafood from the North and Baltic Seas
"According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), fish and other marine animals can account for up to 86 percent of PFAS exposure through food in adults," stated the report published by the NGO on Monday. Many of the detected substances have long been banned in the EU, but remain as so-called "forever chemicals" in the environment, animals, and humans, it said. Additionally, thousands more PFAS continue to enter nature daily. The most frequently found PFAS can, according to the NGO, cause cancer, harm unborn children, and attack organs such as the liver and spleen. In three fish samples - turbot, herring, and plaice - the measured values even exceeded the EU limits for food.
94 percent of the fish consumed in Austria is imported, almost half of which comes from Germany. How many of these contaminated fish come from the North or Baltic Seas is not yet known. Greenpeace reported that on Monday, brands, supermarkets, and retailers were asked whether they sell fish from these areas and if they check their supply chains for PFAS toxins.
Call for Testing Focus
Madeleine Drescher, consumer expert at Greenpeace Austria, called the detected PFAS contamination alarming: "As long as it remains unclear how much fish on the Austrian market is affected, retailers and authorities must finally ensure transparency and make sure that no contaminated products end up on our plates," she demanded. According to Greenpeace, there is a need not only for a "rapid ban on all PFAS toxins" but also for a comprehensive testing focus on food in Austria. The government should support such a ban at the EU level and, until then, use all national options.
(APA/Red)
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