Environmental groups have raised serious concerns after discovering toxic “pesticide cocktails” in apples sold across Europe. Pan Europe, a coalition of NGOs fighting pesticide use, tested about 60 apples from 13 countries including France, Spain, Italy, and Poland. Their analysis found that 85% of the apples contained several pesticide residues. In some cases, apples showed traces of up to seven different chemicals. Pan Europe advised consumers to buy organic apples or peel regular ones before eating. The group detected highly hazardous pesticides in 71% of samples, known as “candidates for substitution” which the EU wants to phase out quickly. They also found that 64% of apples contained at least one per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals” widespread in the environment and daily products. While EU rules allow pesticide residues below certain limits, Pan Europe warned of the “cocktail effect” where multiple pesticides together might be unsafe. Martin Dermine, a senior official at Pan Europe, criticized the European Food Safety Authority for checking pesticides one by one instead of studying the risks of multiple chemicals combined. He said, “In this report, we show that 85% of the apples have multiple residues, and we don’t know if they are safe for consumption or not,” highlighting possible links to cancer and infertility. The group also noted that if these apples were sold as baby food, 93% would be banned because they exceed stricter pesticide limits for children under three years old. Apples are a top favorite fruit in Europe and the most grown, especially in Poland, Italy, and France. They are also heavily treated with pesticides, mainly to combat apple scab, a fungal disease, requiring about 35 treatments on average each year.