Glyphosate in Food: Avoid These Contaminated Products

Glyphosate is the active chemical ingredient in glyphosate-based herbicides. One of the most common is the weed killer Roundup. Introduced to the marketplace in 1974, initial toxicity testing results led to an assumption that GBHs posed fairly low risks to humans and other species.

Due to those findings, regulatory agencies around the world set high acceptable exposure limits. The volume of glyphosate applied to crops has increased exponentially since the late 1970s, broadening Americans’ exposure to the chemical. It is now the most widely used herbicide in the world. The rise of glyphosate-resistant crops in 1996 also added to the increased exposure.

Farmers rely on herbicides like Roundup due to their effectiveness in combating weeds. Invasive plant life such as weeds can be highly detrimental to large crops. Glyphosate-resistant crops effectively block an enzyme essential for plant growth, allowing farmers to target weeds.

In short, there is a need for more scientific data. Over the last two decades, researchers have begun to take a closer look at the impact of glyphosate toxicity, but have come up with conflicting evidence.

In 2016, the World Health Organization announced it had determined glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic.” In contrast, the Environmental Protection Agency consistently maintains that its scientists have found that “glyphosate is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.”

Hearing such drastically different findings makes it hard for the American public to choose which one to believe. More studies are necessary to settle the debate.

It is interesting to note, however, that Bayer, the company that owns the Roundup brand, announced in 2021 that it would cease selling Roundup in the residential lawn and garden market in 2023. It cited the risks to farmworkers and consumers from exposure to this toxic pesticide as the primary reason for the decision.

This announcement came just two years after the company was ordered to pay more than $80 million in damages to a man who claimed in a Roundup lawsuit that the product caused his non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Learning how to avoid glyphosate in food will enable you to make more informed decisions about your diet. There are four steps you can take immediately to begin limiting your intake of glyphosate.

An organization known as the Detox Project created a certification process to officially verify that products are free from glyphosate contamination. It uses an accredited third-party laboratory to test manufacturers’ and farm suppliers’ products to make sure their items do not contain glyphosate residues. Once completed, the certification is valid for one year.

The Detox Project has already begun to certify products as Glyphosate Residue Free. You can peruse its list of certified Glyphosate Residue Free products to find items that may be a quality substitute for the contaminated item you no longer wish to purchase.

Organic produce inherently offers an opportunity to avoid glyphosate because certified organic produce is grown without chemicals from any herbicides or pesticides. Eating organic foods is not a complete fix for this problem, but it can help heavily reduce exposure to glyphosate. One recent study found that people who ate an all-organic diet for just six days reduced the amount of glyphosate in their bodies by 70%.

When growing your own produce, choose not to use Roundup in your garden. There are many ways to find alternatives to Roundup — some organic products on the market work well, and there are do-it-yourself recipes you can try making at home.

When studying the prevalence of glyphosate in certain foods, the numbers can be shocking. For example, one study from the Environmental Working Group revealed that glyphosate was present in more than 95% of popular oat-based food samples. A follow-up study identified cereals targeting children as some of the most glyphosate-contaminated food products. It measured the levels in parts per billion (ppb) and worked with a benchmark for children’s consumption of glyphosate of 160 ppb.

The Environmental Working Group puts out an annual list of the “Clean Fifteen,” which are the 15 fruits and vegetables with the lowest amounts of any pesticide residues according to USDA data. Of this list, just under 70% of the samples had zero detectable pesticide residues.

These tips on eating cleaner and greener can help minimize your exposure to glyphosate and other pesticides.

Protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the hidden dangers of glyphosate toxicity requires awareness and planning. While the health risks of glyphosate in food have not been definitively proven, there has been enough convincing evidence for a multitude of Roundup lawsuits seeking justice for those who’ve been injured as a result.