PAN Europe, a coalition of NGOs campaigning against pesticide use, had around 60 apples randomly purchased in 13 European countries -- including France, Spain, Italy and Poland -- analysed for chemical residues.
Eighty?five percent of the samples contained multiple pesticide residues, the organisations said, with some apples showing traces of up to seven different chemicals.
In 71 percent of cases, PAN Europe detected pesticides classed among the most hazardous in the European Union -- so?called "candidates for substitution" that the bloc aims to phase out as soon as possible.
The analysis also found that 64 percent of samples contained at least one per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance, also known as "forever chemicals", which are found throughout the environment and everyday products.
Pesticide residues are permitted in the EU below certain maximum levels. But PAN Europe warned of the "cocktail effect," when consumers are exposed to several pesticides simultaneously in a single product.
Martin Dermine, a senior official at the coalition, criticised the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for assessing pesticides individually rather than the risk from "multiple exposure" to several substances.
"In this report, we show that 85 percent of the apples have multiple residues, and we don't know if they are safe for consumption or not," he said, pointing to potential links with cancer and infertility.
If the same apples were sold as processed baby food, 93 percent of the samples would be banned, PAN Europe said, as their pesticide residues exceed the stricter limits set for children under three.
EU rules are tougher for baby foods to protect early development. PAN Europe advised consumers to buy organic apples or peel conventionally grown ones before eating them.
Along with bananas, apples rank among Europeans' favourite fruits, and are the most widely grown in the EU, particularly in Poland, Italy and France.
Apples are also among the most heavily treated fruits, with pesticides used in particular to fight apple scab, the main fungal threat to orchards. More than half of the numerous annual treatments carried out on the fruit -- about 35 on average -- target the disease.
'Forever chemicals' could cost Europe up to 1.7 tn euros by 2050: report
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Jan 29, 2026 -
The continued use of "forever chemicals" could cost Europe up to 1.7 trillion euros ($2 trillion) by 2050 because of their impact on people's health and the environment, an EU-commissioned report said Thursday.
The study assessed different courses of action, as Brussels is already looking to ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in everyday consumer goods -- from pizza boxes to clothing.
A total stop of production and use of PFAS -- a family of synthetic chemicals that take an extremely long time to break down -- could lower costs to 330 billion euros, it found.
"The study confirms that addressing PFAS at their source is both crucial and economically wise," European Union environment chief Jessika Roswall said.
"Balancing economic interest with nature and health costs is vital."
A group of more than 10,000 human-made chemicals that repel heat, water and oil, PFAS are used in non-stick pans, stain-proof carpets, and other products -- and often end up tainting food, water and wildlife.
Chronic exposure to even low levels of the chemicals has been linked to liver damage, high cholesterol, reduced immune responses, low birth weights and several kinds of cancer.
Under a business-as-usual scenario, the societal cost of PFAS pollution will reach about 440 billion euros by 2050, most of it linked to health costs, the study said.
A ban would save 110 billion euros, as items already in use slowly reach their end of life.
Costs would instead balloon to more than one trillion euros if Europe decided to go about it by treating polluted soil and water without steps to ban the chemicals at source, it found.
Brussels has said prohibiting the use of many PFAS is a priority.
But a legislative proposal initially promised for the end of 2025 might not come before the end of 2026, pending the completion of two external assessments.
Potential exemptions for some industries are also being evaluated.
Last year Roswall disclosed she had tested positive for "toxic" PFAS after undergoing screening to raise awareness of the health risks linked to the man-made pollutants.
PFAS use is increasingly being restricted across the world due to adverse health effects.
Last year an Italian court sentenced executives at a chemical plant to jail terms of up to 17 years for polluting water used by hundreds of thousands of people with the chemicals.
Traces of the chemicals have been found everywhere from Tibet to Antarctica and contamination scandals have gripped Belgium and the United States among other nations.
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