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The Global Pulse: Florida Candy Arsenic Investigation + EU PFAS Water Monitoring

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Lifeuntox Daily
February 05, 2026

Good morning, wellness warriors! Every week, groundbreaking health research gets published. Regulations change. Scientists make discoveries that could genuinely transform how families protect themselves. And where does it all end up? Buried in academic journals, hidden behind paywalls, or drowned out by whatever wellness influencer is hawking supplements this week.

Meanwhile, the headlines screaming from every screen? They're designed to generate clicks, not to help anyone live better.

That ends here.

This week's Global Pulse cuts through dozens of studies, policy briefs, and scientific debates to surface the four stories that genuinely matter for anyone trying to create a healthier, less toxic home. One of them is already being texted between parents at 11pm. (The candy one. You'll see why.)

📰 This Week's Global Pulse:

  • 🍬 Florida's bombshell candy investigation finds arsenic in 60% of products tested

  • 🇪🇺 The EU's landmark PFAS water monitoring law is now in effect

  • ❤️ US life expectancy hits record high, but night owls face heart health warnings

  • 🧪 Europe's "One Substance, One Assessment" chemical reform goes live

Know someone who needs to see this week's news? Share The Global Pulse (copy URL here)​.

🍬FOOD SAFETY ALERT

Florida's "Healthy Florida First" Candy Investigation Shocks Parents Nationwide

In what's being called a major headline for the clean living movement, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis, and Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo released results this week from a state-led investigation into 46 popular candy products and the findings are rattling parents across America.

💡 The shocking finding: Of the 46 candies tested, 28 (over 60%) contained "problematic" levels of arsenic with some candies showing arsenic levels 2-4 times higher than foods already known to be high in the toxin, like rice.

Here's the jaw-dropping part: Dr. Ladapo said he was "really shocked by the levels of arsenic in common candies." And this isn't some small-time study, this is a state health department putting major brands on notice.

Candies flagged with elevated arsenic levels: Nerds (Grape and Strawberry), Jolly Ranchers, Swedish Fish, SweeTarts, Twizzlers, Sour Patch Kids, Tootsie Rolls, Skittles, Kit Kats, Three Musketeers, and Snickers.

Candies that tested safer: Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Whoppers, M&M's, Twix, and Milky Way. Among 13 "healthier" or organic candies tested, only 2 showed elevated levels.

Here's what the First Lady said that really hits home: "There should be a reasonable expectation that chemicals do not quietly make their way into our food supply. Consumers deserve transparency. Parents deserve information to make informed decisions."

Now, the National Confectioners Association has pushed back hard, calling the testing "misguided" and claiming Florida used "overly conservative" benchmarks that differ from FDA standards. They're calling it "sound bites over science."

But here's the bottom line: When a state surgeon general is "shocked" by what he's finding in children's candy, maybe it's time to stop waiting for the FDA to get "in front of these problems" - as Casey DeSantis put it - and start demanding better.

🌿 Your Clean Living Takeaway

This isn't about never eating candy again. It's about being informed. Chocolate-based candies tested significantly safer than fruit-flavored, sugar-based ones. And organic options showed dramatically lower contamination rates. The full testing results are available at ExposingFoodToxins.com - worth checking where your family's favorites land.

— TOGETHER WITH CROWD COW—

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Every order shows you exactly which farm your meat came from, how the animals were raised, and what they were fed. It's the kind of radical transparency the food industry desperately needs and exactly what wellness warriors deserve.

💧WATER QUALITY

The Global PFAS "Water Audit" Begins: EU Mandatory Monitoring Now in Effect

As of January 12, 2026, the European Union has officially transitioned into a systematic monitoring phase for "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in public water systems. This is huge, folks and here's why Americans should be paying attention.

💡 Historic first: This marks the first time PFAS in drinking water is being "systematically monitored" across the EU, with harmonised methods and binding limits of 0.1 µg/L for the sum of 20 PFAS substances.

EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall put it plainly: "PFAS pollution is a growing concern for drinking water across Europe. With harmonised limits and mandatory monitoring now in force, Member States have the rules and tools to swiftly detect and address PFAS to protect public health."

"But wait - what does Europe have to do with me?" Fair question. Here's why this matters for everyone: When the EU sets a standard this comprehensive, it typically becomes the global gold standard. Companies don't want to manufacture two different versions of products, they reformulate everything. And that benefits consumers worldwide.

Right now, an estimated 12.5 million Europeans live in communities with PFAS-contaminated drinking water. If Member States find exceedances, they must take action - closing contaminated wells, adding treatment steps, or restricting water supplies while informing the public.

Meanwhile, just this week, a new EU study estimated that PFAS pollution could cost Europe €440 billion by 2050 if left unchecked. Tackling emissions at the source by 2040 would save €110 billion - while treating polluted water alone would cost over €1 trillion.


🌿 Your Clean Living Takeaway

Water quality is no longer "assumed" - it's being actively audited. If you haven't already, consider investing in a quality water filtration system that specifically targets PFAS. Reverse osmosis and specialized activated carbon filters are your best bets. The EU is setting the bar, don't wait for your local government to catch up.

❤️HEART HEALTH

Record High US Life Expectancy But Night Owls Face 79% Higher Risk of Poor Heart Health

The CDC dropped some genuinely good news this week: U.S. life expectancy hit a record high of 79 years in 2024 - the highest mark in American history. Death rates are declining across all major causes, including heart disease, cancer, and even drug overdoses.

"It's pretty much good news all the way around," said Robert Anderson of the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. And preliminary 2025 data suggests continued improvement.

But here's the plot twist...

A massive new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association this week found that self-described "night owls" face significantly worse cardiovascular health than their early-rising counterparts.

💡 The numbers worth noting: Night owls showed a 79% higher prevalence of poor overall heart health compared to people with typical sleep-wake patterns, and a 16% higher risk of heart attack or stroke over 14 years of follow-up.

The study analyzed data from over 320,000 adults in the UK Biobank. And here's what's fascinating: the researchers found that about 75% of this increased risk was explained by modifiable lifestyle factors - primarily smoking, poor diet, and inadequate sleep.

"It isn't being a night owl that's a problem," explained Dr. Kristen Knutson of Northwestern University. "I think being a night owl who's trying to live in a morning lark's world is a conflict between one's internal clock and their social clock."

The effect was particularly pronounced in women. And nicotine use alone explained 34% of the link between late bedtime and heart disease risk.

🌿 Your Clean Living Takeaway

Night owls aren't doomed but they do need to be more intentional. Focus on the basics: quit smoking if you haven't, prioritize consistent sleep schedules even if you can't shift your bedtime earlier, stop eating at least 3 hours before sleep, and get bright light exposure in the morning. The researchers emphasized that these are modifiable risks - meaning you have the power to change them.

🧪 CHEMICAL REGULATION

EU's "One Substance, One Assessment" Law Takes Effect - A Landmark for Chemical Safety

Starting January 1, 2026, a landmark legislative package entered into force in the EU that fundamentally changes how chemicals are assessed for safety. It's called "One Substance, One Assessment" (OSOA) and it's exactly as sensible as it sounds.

Here's the problem it solves: Previously, a single chemical could undergo multiple safety assessments under various EU laws, by different agencies, at different times. The result? Confusion, delays, and chemicals slipping through regulatory cracks.

💡 The game-changer: Under OSOA, if a chemical is found unsafe in any product category, it gets flagged across ALL categories automatically. One assessment, one result, applied everywhere.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is now building a centralized Common Data Platform for Chemicals that will consolidate information from five EU agencies. By 2029, this platform will include data on hazards, environmental occurrence, emissions, uses, and regulatory status of chemicals - all in one searchable place.

EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall explained: "By streamlining the way chemicals are assessed, we can act earlier and more decisively to protect people's health and the environment. This new framework will make it easier to access reliable data, strengthen our scientific cooperation, and improve the EU's ability to anticipate and manage chemical risks."

The package specifically targets PFAS (forever chemicals) and endocrine disruptors for accelerated phaseout from consumer products - the exact chemicals that have been sounding alarm bells in the clean living community for years.

🌿 Your Clean Living Takeaway

This is proof that advocacy works. The EU is responding to decades of pressure from scientists, activists, and consumers like you. Every time you choose non-toxic products, you're voting with your dollar. Every time you share information, you build awareness. Markets respond to consumer pressure and policies follow. Keep pushing.

📰 MORE HEADLINES THAT MATTER

A comprehensive new report highlights the enormous economic costs of forever chemicals, with newborns, children, and workers near contaminated sites identified as most vulnerable. Early action by 2040 could save €110 billion.

For the first time since the pandemic began, COVID-19 is no longer among America's top 10 killers. It was replaced by suicide - though notably, suicide rates also declined in 2024.

France Bans PFAS Products Where Alternatives Exist

France has become the second EU country (after Denmark) to ban the sale, production, or import of products containing forever chemicals when PFAS-free alternatives are already available — preempting EU-wide action.

The candy investigation follows earlier state testing that found elevated levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and lead in 24 infant formula products from seven major brands - part of Florida's broader "Healthy Florida First" initiative.

💡 FUN FACT OF THE DAY

Your body replaces about 330 billion cells every single day. That's roughly 1% of all your cells - meaning in about 100 days, you've essentially built a brand new you. Every bite of clean food, every toxin avoided, every glass of filtered water is literally becoming the building blocks of your future self. Choose wisely.

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