How much PFAS are you getting from common foods like fish, eggs, and dairy?

What's actually in it

PFAS don't just come from nonstick cookware and food packaging. They've contaminated the food supply itself. Fish absorb PFAS from polluted water. Eggs pick them up from contaminated feed and soil. Dairy cattle graze on pastures treated with PFAS-containing biosolids and drink contaminated water. Once in an animal's body, PFAS concentrate in edible tissues.

This means you're eating PFAS even if your kitchen is completely PFAS-free.

What the research says

A 2026 study in Environ Int tested hundreds of food samples across all major food groups and calculated dietary PFAS exposure for an entire national population.

Fish and shellfish had the highest PFAS concentrations, especially freshwater fish. Eggs ranked second, with levels varying depending on whether hens were raised on contaminated land. Dairy products ranked third, with PFAS found in both milk and cheese.

The study found that the average person's dietary PFAS intake approached or exceeded the tolerable weekly intake set by the European Food Safety Authority. People who ate more fish exceeded the threshold.

You don't need to eliminate these foods. Fish, eggs, and dairy provide essential nutrients. But varying your protein sources, choosing ocean fish over freshwater fish when possible, and buying eggs from hens raised on clean pasture can help keep your total PFAS load in check.