High levels of a cancer-linked herbicide have been found in 26 of the 28 popular breakfast cereals and snack bars, according to a new report released this week.
The following breakfast foods were found to contain at least .16 parts per million of the chemical Glyphosate (the highest level was found it Quaker Oatmeal Squares at 2.837 parts per million);
- Quaker Simply Granola Oats, Honey & Almonds
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Cinnamon & Spice
- Quaker Instant Oatmeal Apples & Cinnamon
- Quaker Real Medleys Super Grains Banana Walnut
- Quaker Overnight Oats Raisin Walnut & Honey Heaven
- Quaker Overnight Oats Unsweetened with Chia Seeds
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares Brown Sugar
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares Honey Nut
- Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
- Very Berry Cheerios
- Chocolate Cheerios
- Frosted Cheerios
- Fruity Cheerios
- Honey Nut Cheerios
- Cheerios Oat Crunch Cinnamon
- Quaker Chewy S’mores
- Quaker Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- Quaker Breakfast Squares Soft Baked Bars Peanut Butter
- Quaker Breakfast Flats Crispy Snack Bars Cranberry Almond
Glyphosate, the main ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup and the most widely used herbicide in the world, is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as “probably carcinogenic” for all people. The IARC has steadfastly defended that decision despite ongoing attacks by Monsanto (the leading producer of glyphosate products).
Every year, according to the EWG, more than 250 million pounds of glyphosate is sprayed on American crops.
“How many bowls of cereal and oatmeal have American kids eaten that came with a dose of weed killer? That’s a question only General Mills, PepsiCo and other food companies can answer,” said EWG President Ken Cook. “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.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a ‘safety level’ for the chemical of 30 parts per million back in 2008, before much of the cancer-linking research was conducted. Just last week, Monsanto was ordered by a court to pay nearly $78 million to a man who claims his terminal cancer was caused by exposure to Roundup. Hundreds of other cases are now working their way up through the courts.
EWG believes that anything over 0.16 parts per million of glyphosate in food should be considered toxic and potentially cancer-causing.
Over 150,000 people have now signed a petition calling the EPA to sharply limit the amount of glyphosate allowed on oats and grains in the US.
