What is PFAS all about?
Per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) are persistent industrially produced compounds that can accumulate in the environment and the body. Recently, they have increasingly become the subject of public debate due to potential health risks. Nevertheless, the majority of the population is not aware of PFAS. This is the result of the Consumer Monitor, a regular representative survey conducted by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment(BfR). According to the survey, six out of ten respondents have not heard of PFAS. This was the first time that the Consumer Monitor had asked about the substances in consumer products. The frontrunners in terms of awareness of given health and consumer topics are "microplastics in food", "e-cigarettes" (95% each), "genetically modified food" (93%) and "antibiotic resistance" (92%). "The Consumer Monitor shows that awareness of and concern about certain consumer issues remain surprisingly stable over a long period of time," says BfR President Professor Andreas Hensel. "It also consistently shows that 'man-made' risks are considered more dangerous than natural ones."
"In your opinion, what are the greatest health risks for consumers?" The most frequently mentioned here are variously described "undesirable substances" (28%), followed by plastics (19%), certain nutrients such as sugar, fat and salt (13%) and unhealthy lifestyles (11%). At the lower end are hygiene deficiencies, meat consumption (4 percent each) and general climate and environmental pollution (3 percent).
"How well informed do you feel about the following consumer issues?" was another question. "Food hygiene at home" (60 percent), antibiotic resistance (38 percent) and microplastics in food (37 percent) came in first place with "(very) well informed". "Swallowed button cells (batteries)" came last with 13%, PFAS with 10% and campylobacter (a food pathogen) with 8%.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
Other news from the department business & finance
Most read news
More news from our other portals
See the theme worlds for related content
Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.
Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.
Last viewed contents
Next Generation Sensors B.V. - Limbourg, Belgium
Microplastics in food - many unanswered questions among scientists and the general public - More than half of the population is concerned about microplastics in food
Arla: Strong growth in the second half of the year and accelerated CO2e reductions
From the packet into your food: what harmful substances are in food packaging? - Database of previously undocumented chemicals
Anywhere Workers Are Traveling More, For Longer, and Are Earning More, Because of a Shifting Economy - Spain is the most popular country to visit as an Anywhere Worker, followed by Portugal and Italy
Cheers! Scientists have developed gene-edited barley that could better your beer - Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, scientists develop and study gene-edited barley that resists pre-harvest sprouting
Cleaner air has boosted U.S. corn and soybean yields - The analysis estimates pollution reductions between 1999 and 2019 contributed to about 20 percent of the increase in corn and soybean yield gains during that period
Aston University engineering graduate launches first AI powered grill - Graduate Suraj Sudera created an AI powered grill to cook the perfect steak.
