Non-GMO Cheerios Oats Still Sprayed With Roundup, Supplier AnnouncesBy Sayer Ji Why must oats be sprayed? Known as pre-harvest desiccation, glyphosate is sprayed on oat crops right before their harvest, ostensibly to increase product uniformity and yield, and to save time in harvesting. A report onWashingtonsblog.comexplains how Monsanto funded research, which is notoriously biased, is behind this practice: Assuming pre-harvest desiccation actually works as Monsanto claims, it should result in lower drying costs, an earlier harvest, and ultimately higher profit. But what is not figured in is the cost to the consumer who is already faced with widespread exposure to a chemical that has already been found in most the water, air, rainsamples tested and which may retain serious toxicity at concentrations in as low as parts-per-trillion range? Most people today consider Roundup herbicide exposure to be a problem linked solely to GMO foods, and not oats. This misconception has been a convenient fact for the non-GMO sector of Big Agra, which continues to use a wide range of highly toxic agrochemicals in food and feed crops that can still legally be described and/or labeled asnon-GMO. But the industry is beginning to be forced to respond to both a powerful shift in consumer awareness and demand in favor of organically produced, non-GMO oat products, as well as to a WHO report released last March that identified glyphosate to be a probable carcinogen. When General Mills announced Cheerios would go non-GMO, the decision was received with some skepticism by those who quickly pointed out the fact thatGMO oats dont exist and Cheerios, for the most part, was already a non-GMO product. One writer for Modern Farmer addressed the deceptive tactic: While General Mills decision to switch Cheerios to non-GMOsugarcane sugar could be considered a positive step forward, it effectively distracts from the fact that General Mills oat products are contaminated with glyphosate due to the use of raw material that underwent post-harvest desiccation. How do we know this? Because North Americas largest oat supplier, known to supply General Mills, Kraft, Kellogg, On Agra Foods, and others, just announced it will continue to buy oats that are sprayed with glyphosate. Richardson Milling Supports Roundup Contaminated Oats; Grain Millers Phases Them Out In a disturbing announcement, the Canada-based oat supplier Richardson Milling North Americas largest supplier of oats says glyphosate dessication is acceptable for its oats and that it has no intention of changing its policies. This decision flies in the face of an accumulating body of scientific evidence that shows glyphosate has a wide range of harmful properties, including possible carcinogenicity, which is now supported by the World Health Organizations own assessment. We can only assume that downstream manufacturers such as General Millers are in tacit agreement with their suppliers decision, despite their public bragging about taking some of their cherished cereal brands GMO free. Other oat suppliers, such as Grain Millers, are taking a more precautionary step. Grain Millers, based in Minnessota, announced two months ago that they will no longer buy oats if the crop has been treated with glyphosate pre-harvest. Notably, they reported quality problems in glyphosate treated oats, such as reduced beta glucan content. Beta glucan is a soluble fiber which has been linked to a wide range of health benefits, such as improved blood lipid profiles, cardiovascular protection, and strengthening the immune system. In fact, the reason why food manufacturers are able to place a Healthy Heart claim on oat-based products is due to the beta glucan content. A spokesperson for Grain Millers, Terry Tyson, was reported as stating that glyphosate interrupts the oat plants natural maturation process, which may decrease beta glucan content. Tyson was quoted on Producer.com stating: Clearly the issue with glyphosate extends beyond it simply reducing the levels of a beneficial plant compound. Glyphosate, even at exceedingly small concentration, poses a serious health risk. Because there is widespread focus on GMO labeling andnot Roundup contamination labeling it is possible that people are being gene-washed into buying non-GMO labeled products that still contain physiologically significant levels of Roundup herbicide. The concern about glyphosate contamination of oats is highly instructive as we move towards mass acceptance of non-GMO labeling and/or certification initiatives which do not account for the widespread use of glyphosate in non-genetically modified products. Even USDA certified organic brands, such as Organic Valley and Horizon Organic Dairy, regularly use veterinary vaccines that contain genetically modified ingredients; an unethical practice we have termed Organic-Washing. And so, because glyphosate is being used as an EPA approved, pre-harvest desiccant, it is more likely to fly under the radar and not be identified as a highly toxic pesticide contaminant, which it is. Nor do these certifications address other important food quality issues such as the presence of other pesticides in ostensibly non-GMO products or the common non-labeled use of irradiated ingredients. I would urge consumers and health advocates to consider whether the term non-GMO is as relevant as it would first appear. For instance, labeling water Gluten Free is factually true, but a highly disingenuous form of consumer manipulation. Consumers dont just want to know their food does not contain transgenes from other species and their associated novel proteins. They want to know that their food is not contaminated with agrochemicals commonly used in GM agriculture. And right now the non-GMO labeled products on the market are not doing an effective job at providing assurance of that. Please follow the global Non-GMOCoalitionand the Organic Consumers Association to learn more about how we can empower ourselves further on these issues. This article first appeared at GreenMedInfo. Please visit to access their vast database of articles and the latest information in natural health. Dont play with your food I was told I must stop, I read somewhere that glyphosate (Round Up) is sprayed on many vegetables (and fruits?) to prepare them for storage before they are sent to market. If I remember correctly this is particularly an issue with potatoes. There seems to be no way to escape this life destroying chemical. Theres a perfectly good way to escape Roundup. Buy ORGANIC. Roundup is not allowed in organic agriculture. I came to this article via a Facebook post of an image of a box of Cheerios with deception written on it. That is misleading. There is no deception involved. There is no need for the quote marks around non-GMO in your title either. The cereal is non-GMO (at least, I assume that it is non-GMO verified; it should say on the box). It doesnt claim to be organic, which is what it would need to be to avoid herbicide and pesticide residues. People want things to be totally perfect or totally evil. So the conclusion is that Cheerios must be evil because they arent perfect. This simply ignores the change they have actually made by removing the GMOs, which is a step in the right direction and should be encouraged. Your article is informative but could you please not encourage this simplistic attitude with your headline (and the image, if that came from you). Theres another cereal off my list. 