RIVM warns against eating backyard eggs from own chickens over PFAS risk
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) has issued a national advisory urging people not to eat eggs from privately kept chickens, following the discovery of high concentrations of PFAS in eggs collected across the Netherlands.
The recommendation comes after the agency conducted a study at 60 locations throughout the country. Researchers found that in more than half of those locations, people would already exceed the health-based limit for PFAS exposure by eating fewer than one egg per week. At many of the other sites, the levels of contamination were also considered high. Because PFAS cannot be seen from the outside of the egg, the RIVM concluded that it is unsafe to rely on local conditions or appearance. The agency therefore issued a general warning: no privately produced eggs in the Netherlands should be consumed.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are chemicals that accumulate in the human body and can cause significant long-term health risks. The RIVM explained that prolonged exposure to PFAS levels above the recommended threshold can impair immune function, negatively impact reproductive health and fetal development, and increase the risk of certain cancers, including kidney and testicular cancers. Additionally, PFAS can disrupt cholesterol levels and cause liver damage.
Backyard chickens are commonly kept as a hobby in the Netherlands, including in private gardens, allotments, petting zoos, and therapeutic farms. The eggs produced by these birds are not subject to official food safety inspections. By contrast, eggs sold in stores and markets, which are regulated by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA), contain far lower PFAS levels and remain safe to eat. These commercial eggs are coded and packaged, and are monitored to meet national food safety standards.
The national investigation followed earlier alarm in Zuid-Holland in 2024, when extremely high PFAS concentrations were found in backyard eggs near the Chemours chemical plant. The types of PFAS detected were not among those used by the company itself, raising questions about how widespread the contamination might be and where it was coming from. The RIVM responded by launching a broader study to measure PFAS exposure from backyard eggs nationwide.
Researchers found that the amount of PFAS varied greatly between the 60 locations, but levels were frequently high enough to pose a significant health risk. In some areas, people could eat just one egg a week without exceeding the limit; in others, even a fraction of an egg would be too much.
Only a small number of sites showed low enough PFAS concentrations that regular egg consumption could be considered safe. However, because of the unpredictability of contamination and the inability to detect PFAS by sight, the RIVM determined that a universal warning was necessary.
It is still unclear how PFAS enters the food chain of backyard chickens. One likely source, the RIVM suggests, may be earthworms that absorb PFAS from contaminated soil and are then eaten by the chickens. The agency is conducting further research into the possible sources of pollution and whether the contamination can be prevented or reduced.
