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Tucson-based suit asks FDA to address, monitor PFAS contamination in food

milk gallons
Sky Schaudt/KJZZ

A new lawsuit filed by an environmental group in Tucson alleges the FDA has failed to regulate contamination from PFAS in food.

PFAS are a group of thousands of human-made chemicals that are used in everything from waterproof jackets to nonstick cookware. Exposure has been linked to health issues including certain cancers.

Last year, the EPA introduced the first-ever federally-enforceable limits on PFAS in drinking water. In a suit filed in federal court in January, a grassroots group called the Tucson Environmental Task Force argues the same should be done for food.

"They are doing a total dietary study, that says, you know, they monitor foods for contamination and then they say, ‘Oh, don’t worry, there’s no PFAS, nothing to see here.’ But you know, you can’t find what you’re not looking for," said Sandy Daussin, the group’s attorney

Daussin’s suit — filed in 2023 — references the FDA’s own studies showing PFAS contamination in milk, corn and other items. Their new filing alleges an unreasonably delayed response.

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Alisa Reznick is a senior field correspondent covering stories across southern Arizona and the borderlands for the Tucson bureau of KJZZ's Fronteras Desk.