TRACES of a cocktail of toxic chemicals linked to cancer and foetal deformities are being eaten even in the healthiest of diets.

Man-made pollutants and chemicals were found in every one of 27 food products, including staples such as bread and eggs, that were tested by experts. In further tests carried out by WWF, formerly the World Wide Fund for Nature, every one of 352 people who provided blood samples over the past five years was found to be contaminated with toxic chemicals. All the contaminants found in the samples were at low levels, well within legal limits, but there are serious fears for long-term health.

None of the contaminants in the quantities detected is thought to pose an immediate, direct risk. There is concern among toxicologists, however, that even at low concentrations the chemicals may represent a serious risk when they mix together in the body.

The eight man-made contaminants, some of which have already been banned, have been linked to many medical conditions. Foetal health and hormone disruption are the most frequently linked effects on health and others include cancer, asthma, allergies, heart disease, diabetes and obesity.

The tests were carried out as part of a WWF campaign to persuade the EU to ban various man-made chemicals or introduce stiffer regulations on their use. The chemicals found in the food were organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants, perfluorinated chemicals, phthalates, organotins, alkylphenols and artificial musks.

All are or have been used in everyday products such as food packaging, saucepans, electrical wiring and computers. In Britain 15 food types, including meats, dairy products, honey and olive oil, were tested and all contained at least two types of contaminant. Twelve foods from Finland, Sweden, Poland, Italy, Spain and Greece also showed traces of pollutant.

Paul King, the director of campaigns for WWF-UK, said: “Because of decades of inadequate legislation, even healthy diets are exposing us all to potentially harmful chemicals, and nowhere near enough is known about the long-term effects. While each item of food we tested is probably safe to eat on its own, taken together over long periods the food we eat contributes significantly to our body burden of chemicals.”

Elizabeth Salter Green, head of the WWF-UK toxics programme, said: “Our food is contaminated, our air is contaminated and our bodies are contaminated. Something is desperately wrong here and we need to resolve the problem.”

She called on the EU to introduce strict controls on the use of chemicals when it meets to vote on new laws next month.

“If the new legislation is not effective in controlling harmful chemicals, our generation will leave behind a legacy of health problems and pollution to the people and wildlife of the world,” she said.

The study by the WWF was welcomed by Andreas Kortenkamp, of the London School of Pharmacy, University of London, who is investigating the potential “cocktail effect” of contaminants in the body. “We need to know more about these chemicals so that we can give scientific assessments of their possible health effects,” he said.

However, John Hoskins, of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said: “Having contaminated the world we have to live with it. I’m not at all concerned with the findings. We can’t do anything about the contamination. There’s no point in hand-wringing as the WWF do because we can’t get rid of this from the environment. What we are working for is stopping further contamination.”

The Food Standards Agency said: “The levels don’t pose health concerns because they are well below the levels set for daily intake. Adverse reactions are unlikely.”

• An alternative to white sugar that is about to become more widely available could help slimmers to lose weight (Valerie Elliott writes).

  Agave nectar, a honey-like liquid derived from the same plant as tequila, is 25 per cent sweeter than sugar. More importantly, it helps to burn rather than store fat and is thought to reduce the craving for sweet foods. Its high fruit sugar content is absorbed by the body more slowly than white sugar, and does not need insulin to break it down.

  Agave nectar, which can be used in tea and coffee and to bake with, is usually sold in health food shops but Tesco is about to become the first big supermarket chain to stock it.

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