Ultra-processed foods and agrochemicals: double poison for the brain

Article published on July 24, 2026 in Revista ReGeo (v.17, n.7), written by Fulvio Alexandre Scorza (EPM/UNIFESP), Larissa Beltramim (Albert Einstein Jewish Faculty of Health Sciences / CEDECA Interlagos / SPDM), Larissa Mies Bombardi (USP / Université Libre de Bruxelles) and Paulo Teixeira (Chamber of Deputies, Câmara dos Deputados).

The consumption of ultra-processed foods contaminated with pesticides should be treated as a silent public health emergency. That is the central thesis of the article, which examines the effects on the brain and the need for intersectoral public policies covering health, food and nutritional security, the environment, and climate.

What ultra-processed foods are

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrialized food or drink products formulated from food-derived components and additives, generally without including whole foods. Examples include packaged snacks, soft drinks, instant meals, and fried foods.

They tend to have low nutrient content and higher amounts of fat, sugar, and additives — preservatives and artificial flavorings, such as glutamate and dyes. Their presence is growing rapidly in developed and developing countries alike, explained in part by easy availability, affordable prices, and additives that make them highly palatable.

The consumption of UPFs has been associated with cardiovascular disease, obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurological diseases. More recently, several studies have pointed to associations between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and elevated risks of cognitive impairment and dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis.

The poison used in the field becomes an ingredient in the package

There is a widespread belief that industrial processing — washing, peeling, cooking — would eliminate pesticide residues from industrialized foods. A Brazilian study has debunked that idea.

The researchers analyzed the presence of pesticide residues in samples of plant-based ultra-processed foods (soft drinks, nectars, soy beverages, corn snacks, salty crackers, filled cookies, corn breakfast cereals, and sliced bread) and animal-based ultra-processed foods (pork sausage, hot dogs, bologna, beef burgers, chicken nuggets, yogurt, chocolate milk, and cottage cheese).

The results:

Pesticide residues were found in 16 of 27 samples (about 60%) of products derived from corn, wheat, soy, and sugarcane. In products derived from meat and milk, they were found in 14 of 24 samples (about 58%).

In total, ten types of pesticides were identified: aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), bifenthrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos, fipronil, acuron, glyphosate, glufosinate, and pirimiphos-methyl. In other words: ultra-processed products containing a combination of several pesticides are being consumed by the population.

The most serious point: children's and infants' food

Surveys carried out by IDEC (Brazilian Institute for Consumer Protection) identified pesticide residues in various foods intended for children, including bread rolls, snacks, infant cereals, porridges, and dairy products intended for babies and early childhood.

Among the substances detected are active ingredients that are not approved for use in the European Union and that have recognized effects on the nervous system — in violation of the human right to adequate food and to food security and sovereignty.

Among the pesticides found in these foods, the following stand out: benomyl (not approved in the European Union), lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos (not approved in the European Union), chlorpyrifos-methyl (not approved in the European Union), bifenthrin (not approved in the European Union), deltamethrin, fenitrothion (not approved in the European Union), glufosinate-ammonium (not approved in the European Union), and pirimiphos-methyl.

These substances belong mainly to the organophosphate and pyrethroid groups, recognized for their action on the nervous system: organophosphates through the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, and pyrethroids through the alteration of neuronal sodium channel function.

What pesticides do to the brain

From a brain-health perspective, certain classes of pesticides — such as carbamates, organochlorines, and organophosphates — can cause significant damage and are identified as risk factors for the development of neuropsychiatric diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). These pesticides produce negative neurological effects indirectly, by destabilizing the cellular, biochemical, and molecular processes that are fundamental to normal brain function.

It is worth noting that, among the ten most commercially sold pesticide active ingredients in Brazil in 2023, seven are not approved for use in the European Union: mancozeb, acephate, chlorothalonil, atrazine, S-metolachlor, glufosinate-ammonium, and diquat. Among these substances, mancozeb, acephate, glufosinate-ammonium, and diquat have recognized evidence of neurotoxicity, through distinct mechanisms — including neurological alterations, inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, interference with glutamatergic neurotransmission, and central nervous system injury.

In addition, exposure to pesticides among rural workers raises the incidence of anxiety, depression, and an alarming suicide rate among farmers — twice the national average — making this impact on mental health one of the greatest concerns of agricultural communities worldwide.

A public policy problem, not a matter of individual choice

Brazil holds a prominent position in global agricultural production, with roughly 83 million hectares under cultivation. Over the last decade, the Brazilian pesticide market has grown rapidly, placing the country among the top positions in the world consumption ranking. This growth cannot be explained solely by the expansion of the agricultural frontier: between 2000 and 2020, pesticide consumption in Brazil grew at a pace approximately three times greater than that of cultivated area, evidencing a growing dependence of the agricultural model on chemical inputs.

The presence of pesticides in ultra-processed foods constitutes a serious, and unfortunately still silent, public health problem in Brazil. It is essential to bring this issue of significant public interest to light, highlighting the importance of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira), from the Ministry of Health, as a public policy within the Unified Health System (SUS) and the National Food and Nutritional Security System (SISAN).

Immediate joint action is needed from the various sectors of society and public authorities to safeguard the health of our population and the environment, with attention to the climate emergency, in order to ensure a safe, healthy, and sustainable food environment.

How to cite this article

SCORZA, F. A.; BELTRAMIM, L.; BOMBARDI, L. M.; TEIXEIRA, P. Alimentos ultraprocessados e agrotóxicos: duplo veneno para o cérebro. Revista ReGeo, São José dos Pinhais, v. 17, n. 7, p. 1-10, 2026. DOI: 10.56238/revgeov17n7-141

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