NASEM publishes report to guide USDA’s response to PFAS in agricultural systems

By Food Safety Magazine Editorial Team | Food Safety Magazine | February 16, 2026

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"The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has published a report on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in agricultural systems to help guide the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) response to the impacts of agricultural lands polluted by these “forever chemicals.”

The PFAS Problem: Lasting Environmental Damage and Human Harm

Often called “forever chemicals” due to their inability to break down in the environment or human body over time, PFAS are a diverse family of synthetic compounds used in numerous consumer and industrial products, including nonstick cookware, textiles, packaging, and firefighting foams. The exact number of PFAS is unknown, but by some estimates, there are more than 14,000.

Once introduced to the environment, PFAS continue to accumulate in soil, surface and ground water, and air, leading to their contamination of crops, food animals and their products, and drinking water, and subsequently, resulting in human exposure."