"Cancer-causing” weed killer found in popular cereals
A staggering 26 different cereals and snack bars have been found to contain an “unsafe” level of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, which is the most common agricultural suicide, and the most popular weed killer.
The brands containing the potentially cancer-causing chemical include Honey Nut Cheerios and Quaker Oats.
The findings come from a new report from the US by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), that tested 28 oat-based cereal products, 26 of which had “harmful” levels of glyphosate, reports the Daily Mail.
It comes after the recent US court case against Monsanto, which originally introduced the chemical four decades ago. Dewayne Johnson, a groundskeeper, won $US289 million in damages with the jury finding that the weed killer was the cause of his terminal cancer. While a judge upheld the verdict, he reduced the sum to $US78 million on Monday.
The EWG said that its findings should concern consumers, particularly as the cereals are widely consumed by children every day. After a study in August by the organisation into big cereal brands, including Kellogg’s and General Mills, found high levels of glyphosate in 45 cereals, the EWG has narrowed its investigation to variations of Quaker Oats and Cheerios. These cereals are some of the most popular and had high levels of the chemical.
The EWG found that 26 of the 28 cereals tested had “unsafe” levels of glyphosate, particularly in Quaker Oatmeal Squares – Honey Nut which had almost 18 times the level of EWG’s benchmark for how much is safe to consume.
The manufacturers of the cereals have released statements saying their products are safe and attempting to allay the fears of consumers.
In a statement provided to the Daily Mail, Quaker accused the EWG of “artificially” creating a “safe level” of glyphosate in order to “grab headlines". Quaker argued that the EWG’s benchmark was far more conservative than regulatory bodies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“We believe EWG's approach is invalid, and we stand behind our statement that the Quaker products tested by EWG are safe,” read the statement.
The manufacturer of Cheerios also criticised the EWG’s benchmark, telling CNN: “The extremely low levels of pesticide residue cited in recent news reports is a tiny fraction of the amount the government allows."
Meanwhile, the EPA has told consumers not to be alarmed by the report and Monsanto said that Roundup is stringently tested and glyphosate is safe.
But the World Health Organisation made the finding in 2015 that the the herbicide is “probably carcinogenic to humans".
Dr Alexis Temkin, an EWG toxicologist who contributed to the report, argued that that just because glyphosate is legal, telling the Daily Mail it “doesn't mean it's safe or that it provides that extra level of protection for children".
“The report shows that breakfast cereals are not a place for pesticides linked to cancer," Temkin added.
“What we show here is that there are detectable levels in common foods that children are exposed to every day. Over a long period of time, that can be dangerous.”
The Cancer Council Australia has called for an independent review of Roundup, with glyphosate not having been formally reviewed in Australian for two decades.