Whats Your Daily Value of Glyphosate?Catherine J. Frompovich It is my understanding that no ones figured out how much glyphosate we consume on a daily basis as yet. Why should we know how much glyphosate we are ingesting? Well, on March 20, 2015 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) produced a monograph, Evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides, wherein as a result of IARCs research, the herbicide glyphosate [the major component in Monsantos Roundup] has been classified as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group A). According to IARCs monograph, And, Question: So, how does glyphosate get into both human and animal diets? Answer: As residues remaining on genetically modified food crops, then eaten as fresh food or prepared packaged foods, which typically have many other processing ingredients added that contain additional glyphosate residues from such staples as soy, corn, sugar beets, or canola oil. Those four crops, in some form, are ubiquitous in packaged foods. They are used for all sorts of production reasons from seasonings to taste enhancers to being components of food processing chemicals, additives and/or preservatives. Just to give readers an idea of some other chemicals used in the manufacture of processed foods, Ive included the Encyclopaedia Britannicas Food Additives/Food Processing [1] in the Reference section at the end. Those chemicals add to, and compound, the total chemical loads found in processed food. Genetically modified or genetically engineered food crops have the ability to withstand excessive applications of the herbicide Roundup, especially since Monsantos Roundup Ready GMO seeds allow crops to resist glyphosate, the toxic ingredient in Roundup, which is sprayed to kill weeds during growing season, but also sprayed on some cereal/grain/legume crops [wheat, feed barley, oats, canola, flax, peas, lentils, dry beans, and soy] at the end of their growing season, and before harvest, to act as a desiccant. [2, 8] Keith Lewis, a wheat farmer, has this to say about preharvest glyphosate spraying: So, now you can understand the importance of purchasing organically-grown cereals, vegetables, grains, and produceand all food in general. Animals that are sources of food meats, dairy products, and eggs are fed GMO grains and alfalfa, plus antibiotics, hormones, and growth enhancer chemicals in their feed, some of which ends up in you. Readers may want to check out organic animal feeds here. However, in India, GMO crops have become an enormous agricultural problem, since Indian Farmers are Committing Suicide because of Monsantos costly GMO crops. The London Daily Mail reported, According to Global Research, American Farmers Abandoning Genetically Modified Seeds: Non-GMO Crops are more Productive and Profitable, since farmers realize they can get more money for conventionally-grown corn than for GMO corn! Furthermore, herbicide use has increased 26 percent between 2001 and 2010 due to the spread of herbicide-resistant weeds. Also, theres real concern that herbicides are killing off pollinator insects, especially bees. Genetic engineering agriculture also reduces the amount of bee forage plants. Heres an interesting site about bees and GMOs. So, how much glyphosate is sprayed on crop acreage? Well, Understanding Glyphosate to Increase Performance, Purdue Knowledge to Go (1-888-EXT-INFO) provides some information. Probably the exact glyphosate use is difficult to define since there are numerous parameters and measures involved, e.g., desired volume and the percentages of glyphosate [1/2%, 1%, 1 %, 2%, 5%, and 10%], depending upon the number of gallons of water used as the carrier/spray. According to Monsantos 2013 Annual Report, it had net sales totaling $14,861Million with net sales for GMO seeds and Genomics Segment coming in at $10,340Milllion. That Annual Report ended with this quotation, The first essential component of social justice is adequate food for all mankind. Adequate? Shouldnt consumers expect healthful, nutritious, and not super-saturated with chemicals? Basically, there are ten companies [5] that control the worlds seed supply. They include: Probably, savvy consumers already know that many of the organic brands are owned by big food processors, who want to get in on the hot organic food market and sales. Heres who owns the organic brands: If readers go to the Cornucopia website, then double click on the above chart thats there, it should increase in clarity and readability. The last issue Id like to fly by readers is this: Do you believe the advertising spin about glyphosate that its harmless? Well, there is some concern that glyphosate and gluten intolerance are associated. Martin Michener, PhD, explains the relationship in Gluten Intolerance and the Herbicide Glyphosate: A National Epidemic. Several medical doctors have weighed in on the association with glyphosate and celiac disease [9], poor gastrointestinal health [10], and gastroparesis [11]. Additionally, I think a similar connection can be made regarding canola oil, since many people I know experience gastrointestinal distress after eating that highly-touted oil. The Cornucopia Institutes Gut-Wrenching: New Studies Reveal the Insidious Effects of Glyphosate is something every person ought to read and seriously consider, I think. And, believe it or not, but glyphosate has been found in human urine! Wouldnt it be ironic, though, if some federal health/food agency were to establish a Daily Value for glyphosate, since its apparently being used as if it were compost? However and unbelievably, in 2013, the U.S. EPA increased the allowable limits of glyphosate in food crops from 200 ppm to 6,000 ppma 30-fold increase from its original allowable limits! [6] What does that tell you? Whats in your food? Do you really want to know? Then, heres a just-published-book, Altered Genes Twisted Truth: How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public. Please READ it! References: [1] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/212615/food-additive/50533/Antimicrobials Resources: Antibiotic Resistance and The Case for Organic Meat and Poultry Good Questions: Einkorn, Spelt, Emmer, Farro and Heirloom Wheat By Editing Plant Genes, Companies Avoid Regulation Catherine retired from researching and writing, but felt compelled to write this article. Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies.Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting. Catherines latest book,published October 4, 2013, is Vaccination Voodoo, What YOU Dont Know About Vaccines, available on Amazon.com. Her 2012 book A Cancer Answer, Holistic BREAST Cancer Management, A Guide to Effective Non-Toxic Treatments, is available on Amazon.com and as a Kindle eBook. Two of Catherines more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into Whats Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process(2008) 