Every day, families across the United States try to make healthy choices at the grocery store. Fruits and vegetables are supposed to be the safest foods we can give our children. But new findings raise serious concerns about what may actually be on that produce before it reaches our tables.

An investigation using California pesticide data found that more than one-third of tested samples of nonorganic fruits and vegetables contained pesticides associated with PFAS, chemicals often called “forever chemicals” because they can persist in the environment for years or even centuries. These chemicals have been widely studied and have been linked to serious health concerns, including cancer, hormone disruption, and immune system damage.

This matters to every family in America. California grows nearly half of the vegetables and the vast majority of the fruits and nuts eaten nationwide. When PFAS-based pesticides are used on crops at this scale, the potential exposure reaches millions of people.

Many Americans are surprised to learn that chemicals designed to persist in harsh environmental conditions may be intentionally applied to food. Regardless of political views, most people agree on one thing. The food we feed our families should be as safe as possible.

That’s why we are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the EPA Administrator, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take immediate action. Federal regulators should conduct a comprehensive review of PFAS pesticides currently approved for use on food crops and evaluate whether these chemicals truly meet the standard of protecting public health.

When chemicals are known to last for decades in soil and water, Americans deserve careful oversight and transparency before they are sprayed on foods we eat every day.

Protecting our food supply should never be a partisan issue. Parents, farmers, and consumers across the country all share the same goal: safe, trustworthy food.

If you believe our families deserve stronger protections from “forever chemicals” in the foods we eat, add your name today.