Glyphosate, A Weedkiller, Found In Popular Children’s Cereal

An alarming report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found that glyphosate was found in a number of popular breakfast foods and cereals that are marketed to children. Glyphosate is a weedkilling chemical used in Roundup and has been linked to cancer, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The study by EWG, a nonprofit, found that many popular cereals had trace amounts of glyphosate found in their products. The group tested 45 foods, and found that glyphosate was detected in 42 of those foods. Out of these products, 31 had had glyphosate levels higher then the EWG scientists consider safe for consumption. For example, Quaker Old Fashioned Oats tested at 1300 ppb of glyphosate. The EWG benchmark for daily food exposure to glyphosate for children is 160 ppb. Glyphosate was found on most samples of oat-based foods, which are often given to children.

Some of the results included organic foods. Organic farming certifications prohibit the use of the herbicide. While it is not exactly known how glyphosate gets into organic foods, it could come from the herbicide drifting from nearby fields. Or it could come from cross-contamination during processing.

Products that contained glyphosate include:

• Cheerios
• Lucky Charms (no marshmallows)
• Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran oat cereal
• Quaker Dinosaur Egg Instant Oats
• Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
• Great Value Instant Oats
• Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
• Back to Nature Classic Granola
• KIND Oats & Honey with Toasted Coconut
• Quaker Chewy Chocolate Chip granola bar

What is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is an herbicide used in weedkillers, including the popular brand Roundup. Roundup is so widely used that it is the most heavily-used agricultural chemical in the world. Americans alone have used about 1.8 millions tons of Roundup since it was first introduced in the 1970s. California state scientists have linked glyphosate to cancer, as well as the World Health Organization.

Glyphosate And It’s Link To Cancer

Last week, A state court jury in California returned a verdict in a case against Monsanto and their herbicide “Roundup,” awarding the plaintiff DeWayne Johnson, $289 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Johnson was a school groundskeeper and applied Roundup weedkiller around 30 times a year. In 2014, Johnson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that begins in white blood cells and occurs when the body produces too many abnormal lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells. The Superior Court jury found that at least part of Johnson’s non-Hodgkin lymphoma was caused by glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup.

If you are concerned about glyphosate, or believe your non-Hodgkin lymphoma was caused by Roundup, contact a qualified attorney like KBA Attorneys to find out more about pursuing legal action.