Poison in the Glass: The Dirty Secret Behind Wine’s Fake Image
A new report exposes a toxic truth: that wine’s image is fake. Today’s wines are laced with “forever chemicals” and pesticide residues that endanger people’s health and the environment.
A groundbreaking new report by PAN Europe, reported by news media such as Dagens Nyheter and Accent, exposes an alarming rise in contamination of European wines with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), a highly persistent and toxic breakdown product of PFAS pesticides and F-gases.
These findings not only challenge the illusion of purity surrounding wine but reveal an industry complicit in environmental degradation and public health risks.
The Rise of a Hidden Poison
Eleven countries within the umbrella organization PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network Europe), examined the content 49 wines from various European countries for traces of the PFAS substance TFA.
TFA is increasingly recognized as toxic to reproduction and suspected of causing fetal malformations. Derived from PFAS – dubbed “forever chemicals” – TFA accumulates in soil, water, and plants, and cannot be removed by natural processes. It’s everywhere. And the new PAN Europe report reveals that TFA is present high concentrations in wine.
We are seeing an explosive increase, especially in the last ten years,” says Elin Engdahl, an expert on environmental toxins at the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, as per Dagens Nyheter reporting.
Elin Engdahl, Naturskyddsföreningen
Between 2010 and 2024, TFA levels in European wines have skyrocketed, with recently produced wines averaging 122 micrograms per liter, and some samples spiking above 300 micrograms per liter.
For context, wines from before 1988 were completely free of TFA. The contamination is not isolated: wines from ten EU countries showed levels far above background levels in rainwater, with Austrian wines being particularly toxic.
Concentrations [μg/l] in Wine
The data points from 1974 to 2015
represent individual measurements,
while the data point around 2023
represents the arithmetic mean of 39
European wines from vintages 2021
to 2023.
Samples from 1974 to 2024 [μg/L].
Diamonds represent conventional
wines, circles represent organic
wines. Red symbols indicate red
wine; yellow symbols indicate white
wine.
There is currently no common EU legislation for TFA in drinking water and food. However, the Netherlands, for example, has on its own initiative introduced a health-based guideline value for drinking water of 2,200 nanograms per liter.
It’s scary,” says Elin Engdahl, as per Dagens Nyheter.
It is of course difficult to compare, since people should not consume wine as drinking water. But we can say that we are seeing very high and increasing values, and we know that it is a substance with potentially harmful properties. That worries me.
Elin Engdahl, Naturskyddsföreningen
Ioannis Liagkouridis, a researcher and expert on PFAS at the Swedish Environmental Institute IVL, says that the environmental groups’ investigation is in line with many other studies on the occurrence of TFA in the environment, according to Dagens Nyheter reporting.
This is in line with what we see in other studies. TFA is found all over the planet today. We have found high concentrations in water, in soil, in plants and there are also studies on human blood.
Ioannis Liagkouridis, researcher, Swedish Environmental Institute IVL
Wine’s Poisonous Ingredients: Pesticides and TFA Go Hand-in-Hand
This isn’t just about one chemical. Wines with high TFA levels were also loaded with synthetic pesticide residues – up to eight different chemicals in a single bottle. Many of these are linked to cancer, reproductive harm, and neurological disorders. The wine industry has constructed an image that masks wine’s poisonous ingredients created by industrial agriculture’s reckless overuse of PFAS pesticides.
The results revealed by the PAN Europe report are a consequence of aggressive pesticide use for profit and productivity maximization.
Also organic wines, often marketed as “cleaner”, are not safe, according to the report. While some had lower contamination, widespread environmental pollution means even organic vineyards are vulnerable. The sheer scale of environmental contamination means that no vineyard is immune, no matter how the wine is produced.
Regrettable Substitutions and Regulatory Failures
The rise of TFA is a clear and shocking example of how one harmful chemical has been replaced by another, just as dangerous. Years ago, industries had to stop using certain gases (called CFCs) because they were destroying the ozone layer. So, they switched to different chemicals used in fridges and air conditioners, which didn’t harm the ozone but created a new problem. These new chemicals break down into TFA – a toxic substance that lasts forever in nature. Now, this pollution is showing up in water, soil, wine, food, and even in human bodies.
As such, TFA’s rise is a textbook case of “regrettable substitution.” In phasing out ozone-depleting chemicals, industries swapped one environmental catastrophe for another.
At the same time, regulators failed to act. For years, chemical companies claimed that TFA was safe, and many governments believed them without asking for proof. This allowed TFA pollution to grow quietly, creating a dangerous mess that’s now affecting everyone.
Scientists warn that TFA poses a threat to planetary boundaries – the safe operating space for humanity. It meets all criteria: it accumulates globally, disrupts ecosystems, and cannot be reversed.
The Wine Industry’s Complicity
The wine industry, too, has kept quiet. They know their vineyards rely heavily on these toxic pesticides, but rather than change, they’ve let the problem grow.
The industry’s embrace of toxic pesticides, coupled with regulatory complacency, is poisoning both people and planet.
Big Wine profits from an image of tradition, nature, and health. But behind that image is a heavy dependence on synthetic pesticides, many of which contribute directly to the TFA problem. The industry has known for years about pesticide residues in wine, yet it continues to ignore its responsibility.
By failing to act, wine producers are complicit in poisoning their own products, the environment, and the people who consume them. Instead of leading the way in sustainable, clean farming, many in the industry are doubling down on chemicals – ignoring both the science and the risks.
People’s Health Under (Multiple) Threat(s)
TFA and related chemicals are now being linked to serious health problems, including reproductive harm and developmental issues.
The PEN Europe report reveals that wine now comes with an invisible dose of forever chemicals – in addition to the carcinogenic and addictive effects of ethanol – jeopardizing people’s health.