ALMOST TWO DOZEN CEREAL and snack products were found to contain glyphosate, the cancer causing ingredient in the weed killer Roundup.
An analysis released today by the Environmental Working Group’s Children’s Health Initiative found that 21 of General Mills’ oat-based cereals and snacks were contaminated with glyphosate and all but four products contained levels higher than what EWG scientists consider safe for children. The nonprofit environmental research organization’s benchmark for levels of the ingredient deemed safe for kids is no more than 160 parts per billion.
The product containing the lowest level of glyphosate was Nature Valley’s Dark Chocolate & Nut version of Fruit & Nut Chewy Trail Mix Granola Bars, which measured at 76 ppb. The highest level of glyphosate, 833 ppb, was found in Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch.
Regular Honey Nut Cheerios contained 147 ppb. Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cheerios contained 729 ppb. Nature Valley’s Maple Brown Sugar Crunchy Granola Bars measured glyphosate at 566 ppb, while its Soft-Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Squares measure at 206.
The ingredient used in the weedkiller, which is sprayed on oats before harvest as a drying agent, was classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2015. It was classified as a known carcinogenic by California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment in 2017.
There have been several lawsuits brought against Roundup’s manufacturer Bayer-Monsanto alleging that its weedkiller causes cancer and that the company has known about it for years. More than $2.2 billion has been awarded to victims.
