Remains of a cancer-causing herbicide found in dozens of products in the US

According to the report of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), dozens of cereal snacks, oatmeal and bars contain a high amount of herbicide, which is associated with the development of cancer.

Фото: Depositphotos

In 26, 28 of EWG-tested oat-based cereal products revealed potentially harmful levels of glyphosate, the main ingredient of the Roundup herbicide, writes Daily Mail.

Glyphosate-containing products include Cheerios and Quaker Oats, including Honey Nut Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal Squares Honey Nut and Quaker Overnight Oats.

At the same time, none of the products in the new report had glyphosate levels higher than those that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers acceptable, but the EWG argues that buyers should be concerned that such a hazardous substance is generally contained in products consumed daily children.

In August, the EWG held its first studywhich revealed the presence of glyphosate in 45 cereal samples from the manufacturers of Quakers, Kellogg and General Mills.

Following the results of this research, the group wanted to go deeper into the topic and test the specific products of Quaker Oats and Cheerios.

For a new study, EWG purchased products in stores in San Francisco and Washington, DC, and tested them in Anresco's laboratories in San Francisco.

The results showed the presence of glyphosate in all 28 products, but levels that are considered unsafe for health were found in 26 samples.

The EPA considers a tolerable dose of glyphosate to 5,0 parts per million (ppm).

But EWG experts are much more conservative and believe that any level of glyphosate in excess of 160 parts per billion (ppb) is unsafe for humans.

According to the report, the highest level of this substance was found in Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal Honey Nut at 2 ppb. That's nearly 837 times higher than what EWG considers acceptable.

However, government agencies, manufacturers and lawyer groups believe that it is worthwhile to follow the recommendations of the EPA.

After the release of the report, EWG, General Mills and Quaker published statements that their products were safe.

“EWG, in an effort to create sensation, has artificially created a ‘safe level’ for glyphosate that is far from what the responsible regulatory authorities have developed,” Quaker said in a statement.

"We believe the EWG's approach is flawed and insist that Quaker products, as tested by the EWG, are safe," the company added.

The EPA also issued a statement in which it emphasized that the report should not cause concern among consumers.

But Dr. Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist from the EWG who worked on the report, says the results are frightening.

"Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's safe or that it provides a strong level of protection for children," she said.

She recalled that the EPA increased the amount of glyphosate residues in oat products from 20 ppm in 1997 to 30 ppm in 2008. According to the toxicologist, the EPA may conduct such increases in legitimate levels of herbicides in products in the interests of manufacturers, which creates risks for consumers.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are sold in more than 160 countries around the world, and farmers use them on 250 crop types only in California, which is the leading US farm state.

In March, 2015, the World Health Organization decided that this herbicide is carcinogenic.

Creator Roundup, Monsanto, says that glyphosate is safe and that the company's products are subject to rigorous testing.

However, in August, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay 289 million dollars a landowner who claimed that the herbicide was the cause of his cancer. After the appeal, the decision was upheld, but the amount of the payment fell to 78 million dollars.

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