Australian food standards must be reviewed to limit the intake of dangerous “forever chemicals”, and subsidised blood tests and cancer screenings should be made available to the public, a Senate inquiry has recommended.

The inquiry into per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, also known as PFAS, called for a national biomonitoring program to measure chemical exposure, with a particular focus on assessing the health effects of PFAS on children and pregnant women over time.

“The science is clear: PFAS are toxic and linked to immune, reproductive and cancer risks,” said Senator Lidia Thorpe, the chair of the cross-party Senate committee.

“People are getting sick but the problem is still being minimised – that has to stop. These chemicals are the asbestos of the 21st century.”

The inquiry was

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