Last week, a CA court ordered Monsanto to pay nearly $300m in damages to a man afflicted with cancer, allegedly linked to use of the Monsanto product Roundup. He used the product regularly as groundskeeper for a school district near San Francisco. Within two years of two separate accidents involving significant contact with Roundup, he was diagnosed with cancer and now has lesions covering most of his body. It is a tragic story, and a significant story. In March 2015, the World Health Organization proclaimed that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup, likely does cause cancer. Many countries around the world banned or otherwise restricted the herbicide, while the United States EPA defended its safety. This recent punitive ruling is interesting for the ongoing saga in the U.S.
So why mention this story about a weed-killing chemical product?
Well, what if this same product were sprayed on your food? And what if the very cellular matter of your food were engineered to tolerate glyphosate, so that your food could be even more heavily sprayed with this chemical pronounced likely to cause cancer? Can you imagine?
On the tails of the court ruling, the Environmental Working Group (“EWG”) this week released a report* finding high glyphosate levels in tested foods. Reported unsafe levels of glyphosate were observed in nearly 70% of the 45 conventional oat products that were tested, including popular children’s cereals, oat and granola products.
I was surprised to see a few natural/health brand products listed, including non-organic steel cut oats, granola cereal and bars, and a ‘healthy’ oat cereal. As it turns out, glyphosate is used on a wide variety of non-organic grain products, and seems the way to avoid higher levels of contaminants these days is to stick with organic foods and products. (Interesting side note, glyphosate is starting to show up in some organic foods, though in much lower amounts. The suspected culprit is chemical drift and run-off from the heavy use and application of glyphosate in non-organic farming. Facilities that process both organic and non-organic foods could also contribute to cross-contamination. (note the word process. Our best bet is to eat organic whole foods from nature, not from the factory))
Granted, the EWG has much stricter standards vs the EPA in how they define “unsafe levels” of glyphosate, with an eye toward long-term exposure. And the debate will continue, with detailed arguments over whether or not the substance definitively causes cancer, and what specific levels in food should be cause for concern.
As for me, I err on the side of caution. The controversy alone warrants wariness over what we eat, and why would I put myself, my loved ones or my customers at potential risk? As much as possible, I seek 100% organic (USDA Certified or better) foods. This includes groceries, markets, restaurants, even the condiments and ingredients like oils and spices. I inspect, I ask, and I advocate for my health and for the health of others.
Eat Clean + Breathe Deep + Move Often = Never Settle™
This editorial contains the humble opinions of the author. If you’d like more details, see the sources below.
*Temkin, Alexis. “Breakfast With a Dose of Roundup?” EWG, 15 Aug. 2018, www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/glyphosateincereal/.
Coleman, Robert. “How Does EWG Set a ‘Health Benchmark’ for Glyphosate Exposure?” EWG, 16 Aug. 2018, www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2018/08/how-does-ewg-set-health-benchmark-glyphosate-exposure/.
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