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FDA finds toxic ‘forever chemicals’ in food but still won’t set enforceable limits Iris Myers December 19, 2025 WASHINGTON – Today the Food and Drug Administration announced additional testing data about detections in food of the “forever chemicals” known as PFAS. The findings underscore the urgent need for enforceable limits on PFAS in food, not just continued monitoring.The data was collected through the FDA’s Total Diet Study.The FDA reported that trace and quantifiable PFAS detections were found in seafood, meat, dairy products and vegetables. The list of foods includes shrimp, clams, catfish, tilapia, beef, chicken, milk and kale. Although the agency emphasized that most samples tested showed no detectable PFAS, the Environmental Working Group stressed that even low-level contamination poses serious health risks, particularly because PFAS accumulates in the body over time.In April, the EWG submitted comments to the FDA urging the agency to set enforceable limits for PFAS in food.The following is a statement from Scott Faber, EWG’s senior vice president for government affairs.The FDA cannot afford to wait one more day to set action levels for PFAS in our food, as other nations have done. The EPA must ban the use of pesticides made with PFAS and ban the practice of applying sludge contaminated with PFAS to food crops and animal feed. For millions of Americans, our food, not our water, is the primary route of exposure to PFAS. Federal action is urgent and long overdue.###The Environmental Working Group (EWG) is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthier environment. Through research, advocacy and unique education tools, EWG drives consumer choice and civic action. Areas of Focus Food & Water Food PFAS Chemicals Press Contact Monica Amarelo monica@ewg.org (202) 939-9140 December 19, 2025

FDA deadline to ban formaldehyde in hair straighteners looms: Why it must act JR Culpepper December 17, 2025 In less than two weeks, the Food and Drug Administration will blow past its self-imposed deadline to finally ban formaldehyde, a cancer-causing chemical, from hair straighteners.The administration shows no sign of progress, despite the ban being in the works for years. That’s despite clear scientific evidence showing use of the toxic substance in hair straighteners threatens users with alarming exposure to the chemical’s harms.In fact, Trump officials are signaling the exact opposite of concern about formaldehyde. The Environmental Protection Agency released a draft review that would nearly double the amount of formaldehyde it says is “safe” to inhale. This position abandons decades of scientific agreement linking the chemical to leukemia and other types of cancer.The change could provide cover for the FDA to adopt weaker exposure limits to formaldehyde, allowing greater use of the chemical. In that event, some groups – including workers and customers at salons using formaldehyde hair straighteners – would face higher risk.That’s hardly a winning formula to Make America Healthy Again, despite the administration’s claim it is working to reduce exposure to toxic chemicals in the U.S.Taken together, the EPA’s retreat and the FDA’s ongoing delay paint a troubling picture: Federal agencies charged with protecting health are instead normalizing exposure to a chemical that scientists, doctors and public health experts have consistently warned about.After more than a decade of these warnings, overwhelming scientific consensus, and repeated broken promises, the FDA must finally ban formaldehyde in hair-straightening treatments. The FDA promised to issue the ban by December. The clock has almost run out.Urgent need for actionThe need to tackle risks from formaldehyde exposure remains pressing. Scientists agree carcinogens like formaldehyde pose health risks, even at very low doses.Formaldehyde is widely used in building materials and consumer products, including hair-straightening treatments that release the chemical into the air, especially when heated.Salon workers who use hair straighteners and smoothing treatments containing the chemical face some of the greatest risk from this exposure.The National Toxicology Program, which identifies potentially toxic chemicals, classifies formaldehyde as a known carcinogen. Short-term exposure is associated with eye, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath and wheezing. Formaldehyde is a potent sensitizer and is thought to increase the risk of asthma for some groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that “working with formaldehyde may increase your chances of having fertility problems or a miscarriage.”Long-term exposure increases the risk of leukemia and other types of cancer, dangers the FDA has known about since at least 2007. Yet the agency continues to delay action.Internal FDA emails from 2016 underscore how long this issue has festered. In one message, an agency scientist wrote bluntly: “Let’s just ban the damn ingredient.”Nearly a decade later, formaldehyde remains on the market in hair-straightening products.Concerns over EPA risk changeThe FDA’s inaction looks even more stark in light of the EPA’s recent formaldehyde rollback. The EPA proposes redefining formaldehyde exposure safety as short-term “sensory irritation” rather than cancer risk. By doing so, the agency is proposing allowing exposures up to 0.3 parts per million, a move that downplays well-established health hazards and could weaken protections for millions of workers and consumers.Environmental health advocates warn the shift opens the door to poor decision-making about dangerous chemicals. But chemical manufacturers have applauded it as a regulatory reset that puts industry convenience ahead of public health. The rollback proposes overturning decades of scientific agreement that effectively recognized there is no safe level of exposure to this known carcinogen.The EPA’s revised formaldehyde assessment was heavily influenced by former chemical industry officials who now lead the agency’s office of chemical safety programs, according to The New York Times and ProPublica. The new approach abandons a long-standing EPA scientific principle: Even low-level exposure to known carcinogens poses risk.States are stepping inWhere the federal government has failed to act, some states are tackling formaldehyde exposure and risks. For instance, California’s Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act banned formaldehyde in personal care products starting in January 2025. But without federal action, workers and consumers in much of the rest of the country will remain unprotected.The FDA’s delays also raise serious questions about its ability to implement and enforce the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act, enacted in 2022 to strengthen oversight of the cosmetics industry. The agency is already late on other critical rules, delaying fragrance allergen labeling and abandoning a rule to test talc for cancer-causing asbestos.Every day the FDA postpones banning formaldehyde in hair-straightening products is another day people are exposed to a chemical that science has long shown to be dangerous. With the EPA weakening protections and industry pressure mounting, the FDA’s role as a public health backstop has never been more important.The agency has had more than 10 years to act. This month must mark the end of delay, not another broken promise. Areas of Focus Personal Care Products Cosmetics Authors Monica Amarelo December 17, 2025

Congress’ scrutiny of toxic 'forever chemicals' cleanup liability puts public health at risk JR Culpepper December 16, 2025 As the Trump administration rolls back environmental and public health safeguards, Congress may exempt some industries from cleaning up toxic “forever chemicals,” or PFAS, pollution. The House Energy and Commerce Committee's environment panel will hold a December 18 hearing to address what GOP leaders call “concerns” about liability for PFAS contamination. The panel will review the Biden Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to classify PFOA and PFOS – two of the most hazardous PFAS – as hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA. A memo prepared for the hearing by Republican committee staff raises questions about the potentially negative impact of the decision on “critical uses” of PFAS and whether so-called passive industrial receivers of PFAS have suitable exemptions from liability. That’s in line with calls to shield industries from PFAS liability, letting them continue to pollute without accountability. The EPA in April 2024 finalized its designation for PFOA and PFOS under CERCLA, also known as the Superfund law. The rule remains one of the most consequential actions taken to address widespread PFAS contamination across the country. The designation gives regulators the authority to identify PFOA and PFOS contamination, and require reporting of chemical releases. It also crucially holds polluters financially responsible for cleanup, rather than leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. In September, the Trump EPA reaffirmed the rule, despite legal challenges from industry groups. In court filings and a public statement, the EPA defended the CERCLA designation of PFOA and PFOS as scientifically sound and legally justified. The reaffirmation cleared the way for cleanup at hundreds of contaminated sites nationwide, including more than 600 military installations. Seeking harmful exemptions Industry lobbyists have long sought exemptions from costly cleanup obligations, and some in Congress appear eager to grant them. Such exemptions would undermine CERCLA’s “polluter pays” principle and open the door to more pollution and associated health harms. The Superfund law already contains long-standing exemptions and enforcement discretion to protect non-polluters and smaller parties.  Weakening the law’s reach is a slippery slope that could let the real polluting culprits off the hook. Expanding exemptions would leave communities to bear the costs of cleaning up contamination while enabling companies to keep using and releasing toxic PFAS. PFOA and PFOS are among the most well-studied and hazardous PFAS compounds. Once used extensively in products such as food packaging, nonstick cookware, firefighting foam and stain-resistant fabrics, they are found in the blood of virtually everyone, including newborn babies. Because they do not break down in the environment, they accumulate in water, soil and the human body. Very low doses of PFAS in drinking water have been linked to suppression of the immune system, including reduced vaccine efficacy, and an increased risk of certain cancers. PFAS exposure is linked with increased cholesterol, reproductive and developmental problems and other health harms. For decades, chemical giants like DuPont and 3M knew these chemicals were toxic and concealed the risks from regulators and communities. Designating PFOA and PFOS as hazardous substances is not just scientifically necessary, it is morally urgent. Consequential conversation The stakes are especially high as the Trump EPA pursues a broader deregulatory agenda. Against that backdrop, Thursday’s hearing represents a key test of whether Congress will defend communities exposed to PFAS or bend to industry pressure.  CERCLA is explicitly designed to prioritize cleanup of contaminated sites that pose the greatest risks to human health and the environment, particularly in vulnerable and overburdened communities.  For families living near contaminated water supplies, the outcome of the upcoming debate is not abstract. It will determine who pays for cleanup, how fast it happens and whether decades of chemical contamination are finally addressed. For communities polluted by PFAS, the hearing may be one of the most consequential conversations Congress holds this year. WHAT: House Energy and Commerce Committee Environment Subcommittee hearing to discuss the current statutory and regulatory landscape for PFAS DATE: Thursday, December 18, 2025 TIME: 10 a.m. ET LOCATION: 2123 Rayburn House Office Building Areas of Focus Toxic Chemicals PFAS Chemicals Authors Monica Amarelo December 16, 2025

MAAHA: EWG’s ‘Make America Actually Healthy Again’ agenda for EPA Administrator Zeldin Anthony Lacey December 16, 2025 After a string of disastrous decisions that will harm Americans, the Trump Environmental Protection Agency should consider dropping “Protection” from its name. Under Administrator Lee Zeldin, the agency is failing people, putting polluters’ profits ahead of public health.EWG has a plan to change that.We’re proposing a nine-point “Make America Actually Healthy Again,” or MAAHA, agenda for Zeldin. From banning toxic pesticides to taking steps to tackle the harmful “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, our blueprint is rational, achievable and health-protective.And the plan doesn’t contradict itself, unlike the administration’s “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, agenda.MAHA, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., says it wants clean air, safe water and real protections from toxic chemicals and pesticides. Zeldin says he’s working on a MAHA agenda for the EPA. But almost every action his agency has taken will cause more pollution and more harm to Americans’ health.EWG doubts Zeldin’s MAHA plan will be any different. It’ll probably end up like the Trump administration’s first-term Infrastructure Week – ambitious plans promised, never delivered.So, Administrator Zeldin, let’s save you some homework. Just adopt EWG’s MAAHA plan, below. You already have the authority to implement the steps we’re recommending. And if you’re serious about safeguarding the environment and public health, this is the way.It’s time to restore science, enforce the law and make the agency a true defender of communities – not an enabler of industry. You’re welcome.1. Rebuild EPA staff and expertiseReal MAAHA action: Stop incentivizing mass resignations and halt hiring freezes, and bring back highly trained scientists, enforcement attorneys and technical staff.Under Zeldin’s direction, the EPA has pursued a double threat of weakening public health protections. First, it has slashed the jobs of thousands of critical personnel. Second, it is dismantling core science and enforcement programs, including eliminating the vital Office of Research and Development, or ORD.That office “is the heart and brain of the EPA,” said Justin Chen, president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 238, a union representing thousands of EPA employees. “Without it, we don’t have the means to assess impacts upon human health and the environment,” added Chen. “Its destruction will devastate public health in our country.”2. Stop gutting science and reinstate research and evidence‑based decision‑makingReal MAAHA action: Reverse the shutdown of the EPA’s premier air pollution human research lab and restore the ORD. Experts warn that closing the lab impairs the very scientific foundation needed to protect kids from dangerous air pollution – yet MAHA claims to champion children.“It was one of the only places in the country where you could put humans in a chamber and measure their reaction to ozone,” said Laura Kate Bender, vice president of nationwide advocacy and public policy at the American Lung Association. “Those studies have long informed our understanding of how much of these pollutants are safe to breathe,” she added.3. Reinstate and strengthen chemical safety standardsReal MAAHA action: Cancel the absurd industry‑friendly formaldehyde risk assessment that raises acceptable exposure levels of the known carcinogen. Reverse proposed changes to the Toxic Substances Control Act that would expose people to additional harmful chemicals. Instead, use the best available science to protect people from cancer-causing substances that come from multiple sources of exposure and that are often present  in mixtures.Zeldin’s EPA favors methods and advice from top agency officials he plucked from the chemical industry, enlisting their help to weaken chemical safety standards.4. Reverse toxic pesticide approvals and protect farmworkers, kids and consumersReal MAAHA action: Reverse the EPA’s fast‑track approvals and extended uses for several toxic agricultural chemicals, including PFAS pesticides and dicamba. Implement strict health-protective drift and residue limits and truly phase out the worst crop chemicals.During the 2024 presidential campaign, Donald Trump and top MAHA figures like Kennedy promised real protection from pesticide exposure. But under Zeldin, the agency is accelerating pesticide approvals while ignoring mounting evidence of health harms.5. Protect drinking waterReal MAAHA action: Enforce the Biden EPA’s 2024 binding drinking water standards, known as maximum contaminant levels, for the most notorious PFAS. An estimated 41 million people will be drinking PFAS contaminated water for two more years because of the EPA’s  delayed implementation of the new standards. Stop delaying or softening enforcement of the standards for corporations that dump those chemicals into our drinking water supply. Zeldin is planning to roll back or weaken those health-protective legal limits for highly toxic PFAS contaminants in drinking water.“With a stroke of the pen, EPA is making a mockery of the Trump administration’s promise to deliver clean water for Americans,” said Erik Olson, senior strategic advisor for health and environmental health at the Natural Resources Defense Council.6. Clean up the air – not just talk about ItReal MAAHA action: Keep and strengthen air pollution limits on smog, fine particulate matter, and mercury from coal-fired power plants, avoid delayed enforcement of vehicle tailpipe pollution standards and reverse attempts to weaken the EPA finding that climate pollutants endanger public health and welfare.Delaying clean-air rules and undermining their scientific foundation risks an increase in air pollution, leading to more asthma, heart attacks and premature deaths.“The result will be more toxic chemicals, more cancers, more asthma attacks and more dangers for pregnant women and their children. Rather than helping our economy, it will create chaos,” said Amanda Leland, executive director of the Environmental Defense Fund.7. Restore and expand grants for community health and environmental justiceReal MAAHA action: Re‑establish EPA environmental justice, community science and public health grants cancelled by Zeldin.These cuts undermine local efforts to reduce pollution exposure in underserved and overburdened communities, not to mention likely violating federal court orders in terminating the congressionally approved funds.“The illegal termination of these EPA grants not only violates congressional appropriations law, contractual agreements, and multiple court orders, but it also undermines essential programs aimed at eliminating childhood lead poisoning, reducing toxic air pollution, and mitigating health risks from heat and wildfires,” said Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the environment committee.8. Protect polluter enforcement – rather than undermine ItReal MAAHA action: Work with the Department of Justice to reinstate vigorous enforcement that holds polluters accountable.Under Zeldin, the EPA’s enforcement of laws designed to stop companies from releasing dangerous chemicals into communities has grown remarkably weak. Zeldin must reverse course, restore strong oversight and ensure polluters face real consequences for putting public health at risk.“The future is grim for environmental protection,” said Gary Jones, a former top EPA enforcement attorney who now is the executive director of the nonprofit CREEDemocracy, which promotes renewable energy and democracy globally.“The risk will be most felt in overburdened communities, but this will hurt red and blue districts alike. If the EPA cop is not on the beat, then people are going to be harmed,” he said.9. Actually deliver on MAHA promisesReal MAAHA action: Put public health first by taking health-protective actions in an effort to cut cancer rates; cleaning up our air and water and dramatically reducing people’s exposure to toxic chemicals and pesticides.MAHA was sold as a health-first agenda. But under Zeldin, the EPA mirrors the priorities of polluters who treat toxic emissions as a business cost rather than a public health threat.Enough with the nonsense. A true MAHA agenda puts people above profits, science above spin and public health far ahead of polluter priorities. Anything less than fully reversing Zeldin’s rollbacks, restoring EPA expertise and enforcing laws that protect communities from pollution is a sham. Your favorite agency, the EPAThe actions outlined above are just the first steps the EPA should take to better protect public health and the environment. There are many other things that the agency can and should do to make all Americans healthier. But, Administrator Zeldin, the MAAHA agenda is a good start.THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!– EWG Areas of Focus Family Health Women's Health Children’s Health Toxic Chemicals Pesticides PFAS Chemicals 9 ways Trump’s EPA can undo some of its damage and protect Americans’ health Authors Alex Formuzis December 16, 2025

New research indicates that GenAI chatbots, if thoughtfully designed and equitably implemented, can serve as a transformative tool for strengthening youth participation in disaster risk reduction.