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U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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  5. Perchlorate
  1. Environmental Contaminants in Food

Perchlorate

Perchlorate is a naturally occurring and manmade chemical that is present in the environment and occurs in some drinking water systems and in foods. Perchlorate levels may vary widely even within a single food based on where it is grown and the amount of perchlorate in the water.

Between 2008 and 2012, the FDA collected and tested a total of 5,464 food samples for perchlorate and found no overall change in perchlorate levels across foods compared to 937 samples collected between 2005 and 2006. A further analysis of perchlorate levels per year between 2008 and 2012 also found no consistent change in perchlorate levels across foods from year to year.

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