PEER Petitions MAHA Commission to Remove PFAS from U.S. Food Chain

August 29, 2025

Read the full article by Tom Perkins (The National Law Review)

"On August 13, 2025, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) announced that it petitioned the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the food chain. PEER notes that its petition highlights three human exposure pathways it asks the MAHA Commission to address:

Biosolid fertilizers made from sewage sludge contain high levels of PFAS. According to PEER, nearly 20 percent of U.S. agricultural land is estimated to use sludge-based fertilizers and as many as 70 million acres of farmland may be contaminated. PEER notes that PFAS from the sewage sludge are taken up by plants and accumulate in fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy;
PEER states that “[t]he fluorination process used by a large manufacturer of plastic containers creates PFAS in their linings which leach into their contents, including into edible oils and flavorings.” According to PEER, an estimated 200 million containers a year are made this way; and
Pesticides containing PFAS are used throughout the country on staple foods such as corn, wheat, kale, spinach, apples, and strawberries. PEER states that they “are also widely used in people’s homes in flea and tick treatments for pets and insect-killing sprays.”