Zwijndrecht –
Three separate investigations into the presence of PFAS and PFOS in food products in Zwijndrecht did not reveal any alarming results. Karl Vrancken and the municipality of Zwijndrecht, appointed by Flanders, report this on Friday. The current advice regarding the consumption of your own fruit, vegetables and eggs will remain in force, because PFAS and PFOS were indeed detected in various samples. PFAS and PFOS were found especially in the eggs of free-range chickens.
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In recent weeks, three independent studies have been carried out on behalf of the Food Agency (FAVV), the University of Antwerp and the ERM consultancy. ERM did that research for the company 3M. Across the three studies, samples of eggs, meat, vegetables, fruit and crops were taken. Those samples were analyzed for the presence of PFAS, with a special focus on PFOS.
The FASFC took samples of meat, milk and eggs from traditional farms within a radius of 15 kilometers around the 3M factory in Zwijndrecht. According to those results, all samples met the quality requirements of the Food Agency and it is therefore safe to consume products from traditional companies in the area.
Organic farmer
The University of Antwerp took samples from an organic farmer in Zwijndrecht. The results showed a very limited presence of PFAS, but not of PFOS. That is why it applies to both adults and children that a “normal consumption” of these products is safe.
On behalf of 3M, ERM investigated free-range eggs, milk, vegetables, fruit and crops from private individuals, agricultural and horticultural companies in a zone around the 3M site. Free-range eggs in particular are a problem: PFAS was detected in all free-range eggs tested, with PFOS being the predominant PFAS compound detected. One sample even had a value far above the action limit of the FASFC, which would mean that this product would have to be withdrawn from the market. PFOS levels were also found in milk and crops (mainly grasses).
According to Karl Vrancken, the results are reassuring because no alarming values were found, but caution is warranted. “Certainly for, for example, consuming eggs from free-range chickens that live outside on the ground. These show much higher PFAS values than eggs that come from a farm where the chickens live under a roof and therefore do not eat from the (contaminated) soil. The difference between vegetables and fruit from your own garden and products from traditional agricultural and horticultural companies is less significant.”
A blood test is currently being carried out in 800 residents of Zwijndrecht, which should clarify the extent to which PFAS has accumulated in the blood. “In the meantime, we must continue to urge caution and limit exposure. That is why the known precautions are not being adjusted, we continue to advise people around 3M not to eat free-range eggs and not only get their fruit and vegetables from their own garden.”
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