Monsanto’s Weed Killer Ingredient Found In Breakfast Cereals, Pet Foods: Studies

Two new studies Wednesday showed the presence of glyphosate, an active ingredient used in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer, in over 40 breakfast cereals and pet foods.

A study by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found at least 28 samples of popular oat-based cereals and other oat-based food marketed to children contained the presence of glyphosate. The test was conducted after two companies, Quaker and General Mills — both of which were tested positive for the chemical in a recent check — claimed there was no reason for concern because their products met the legal standards.

The study said the group “detected glyphosate in all 28 samples of products made with conventionally grown oats,” and noted 26 of the samples “had levels of glyphosate above EWG’s health benchmark of 160 parts per billion, or ppb,” FOX News reported. According to the study, Quaker Oatmeal Squares breakfast cereal had the highest level of chemical presence, with its Honey Nut flavor’s composition being nearly 18 times higher than EWG’s children’s health benchmark.

“How many bowls of cereal and oatmeal have American kids have eaten that came with a dose of weed killer? That’s a question only General Mills, PepsiCo and other food companies can answer,” EWG President Ken Cook said. “But if those companies would just switch to oats that aren’t sprayed with glyphosate, parents wouldn’t have to wonder if their kids’ breakfasts contained a chemical linked to cancer. Glyphosate and other cancer-causing chemicals simply don’t belong in children’s food, period

“Once again, our message to General Mills, Quaker and other food companies is that you can take the simple step of telling your oat farmers to stop using glyphosate,” he added. “You can hide behind an outdated federal standard, or you can listen to your customers and take responsibility for cleaning up your supply chain. It’s your choice.”

According to another study by researchers at Cornell University glyphosate — the active herbicidal ingredient in widely used weed killers like Roundup — was present at low levels in 18 varieties of dog and cat foods, including one product that was certified GMO-free. The study, however, stressed the chemical was present in extremely low concentrations, lower than what was currently considered safe for humans.

"While the levels of glyphosate in pet foods surprised us, if a human ate it every day, their glyphosate exposure would still be well below the limits currently deemed safe," Anthony Hay, associate professor of microbiology at Cornell and one of the co-investigators of the study said.

A report in RT news pointed out the chemical’s effect on domestic animals in any concentration was unknown. Studies have also shown human cells show negative effects when exposed to certain amounts of glyphosate-based herbicides which are far below the level deemed “safe” by regulators.

"Even the most contaminated feed they studied had thousands of times less glyphosate than levels that were shown to have no adverse effects on dogs in the U.S. EPA's Draft Risk Assessment for glyphosate," Dan Wixted, a pesticide educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, said. He did not take part in the study.

However, the research could not pinpoint the exact product or crops that were the source of the glyphosate, but the team did find a correlation which suggested the origin of the chemical was plant-based.

"We know that glyphosate is only certified for spraying on crops, and it does not bio-accumulate in animals, so we would not expect it to come from feed animals that are the main protein sources in some of the products," Hay said. "Our evidence suggests that it's coming from plant material."