DOZENS of cereals, snack bars and oatmeals have trace amounts of a chemical found in weed killer, a new US report claims. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigated 28 different oat-based products and found that 26 of them contained levels of the herbicide glyphosate. 2 Quaker Oats products and variations of Cheerios were found to contain the chemical which is the main ingredient in Roundup Credit: NESTLE Manufacturers say their products are safe but the EWG report argues that the vast majority of foods tested - including Honey Nut Cheerios and Quaker Simply Granola Oats - have glysophate levels that might pose a cancer risk with long-term consumption. None of the foods violated EPA limits on the herbicide. Quaker Oats products and variations of Cheerios were found to contain the chemical which is the main ingredient in Roundup. The study came about as a follow-up to an earlier investigation into cereals. The EWG wanted to focus in on Quaker Oats and Cheerios products this time because they were found to contain levels of glyphosate in the first study and because they are among the best-selling breakfast brands. 2 The Environmental Working Group found glyphosate - the main ingredient in the weed killer Roundup - in 26 different US cereals Samples of the cereals were tested at a lab in San Francisco where researchers found that all 26 of the 28 specimens contained traces. The EPA guideline for a “safe” level of glyphosate is 30 parts per million. Samples of glyphosate within this study were between 45 and 2837 parts per billion. General Mills, which makes Cheerios, told CNN: "The extremely low levels of pesticide residue cited in recent news reports is a tiny fraction of the amount the government allows. "Consumers are regularly bombarded with alarming headlines, but rarely have the time to weigh the information for themselves. "We feel this is important context that consumers should be aware of when considering this topic." MOST READ IN NEWS 'GOBSMACKED' Queen 'gave Harry OK for Oprah series after misleading pitch about soldiers' ROD LIDDLE Ousting right-on National Trust boss is a victory against wokery DRUMMER DEAD School Of Rock star dies at 32 after being hit by car as Jack Black mourns HOUSE ABOUT IT You won't believe what this ordinary London home looks like on the inside Exclusive TOM'S LEGACY Captain Tom Moore — who raised £39m for charity — left family £73k in will JABS HOPE Scientists 'crack cause of blood clots linked to Covid jabs & know how to fix it' And Quaker also denounced the EWG's idea of a safe level of glyphosate as "artificial" and "invalid". The EPA also agreed with the companies that consumers do not need to be concerned. But Dr Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist at the EWG, stood behind the report's findings. She told the Mail Online: "Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's safe or that it provides that extra level of protection for children." Several scientific authorities have previously said glyphosate likely causes cancer, including the World Health Organization. It is not suggested that the cereals referred to are harmful to health in any way. We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.<doc-sep>The nonprofit Environmental Working Group found traces of weed-killer in breakfast foods like Cheerios and Quaker Oats products. The chemical in question, known as glyphosate, has been tentatively linked to cancer, though many scientists argue that the evidence isn't conclusive. A California couple was recently awarded $2 billion in a lawsuit concerning the same chemical, which they said caused their non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. As the scientific community awaits further research, consumers are left to decide whether glyphosate poses a risk. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Environmental Working Group has conducted multiple tests to determine the presence of weed-killer in certain breakfast foods. In August 2018, the group published a report that found traces of glyphosate, the most widely used agricultural pesticide in the world, in dozens of Quaker, Kellogg's, and General Mills products, including cereals like Cheerios and Lucky Charms. Read more: A chemical found in burned, charred, and toasted foods has been linked to cancer The report tested levels of glyphosate in 45 samples of conventionally grown oats and determined that 31 fell below its safety criteria. Ten weeks later, the EWG tested another 28 samples, focusing exclusively on Cheerios and Quaker Oats products, and found that all but two showed harmful levels of glyphosate, according to its measures. We don't yet know whether glyphosate is actually linked to cancer. As it stands, most published research has found that glyphosate isn't a health threat at the low levels to which consumers are exposed. Does glyphosate cause cancer? A woman uses Roundup without glyphosate in a garden near Paris. Reuters Certain scientific groups have insisted there is a link between glyphosate and cancer, but others aren't convinced. Organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the European Commission, Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, and the World Health Organization's International Program on Chemical Safety have determined that glyphosate does not present a public health concern. Much of the argument surrounding glyphosate boils down to a report published by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer that said the herbicide was "probably carcinogenic in humans." But an extensive review of the material by Reuters found that the IARC had edited parts of the document that didn't align with its conclusion. While some scientists have backed away from the IARC's findings, others are doubling down. Alex Lu, an associate professor of environmental exposure biology at Harvard, described the IARC as a "world-renowned and reputable" institution whose findings have benefited global cancer researchers. Having conducted his own research of pesticides in children's diets, Lu said he believed the EWG's safety measures were relatively conservative and that its threshold "is too high." "This is especially true for parents buying breakfast cereals for their infants and children," said Lu, who is not affiliated with the EWG, though it has covered his findings in the past. The EWG considers any cereal with a glyphosate level of more than 160 parts per billion to be unsafe. The legal limit for oats — as outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency — is 30 parts per million, or 30,000 parts per billion, for adults, making the EWG's threshold nearly 188 times as stringent as the EPA's regulations (though it's common to enforce stricter limits for children). "Since children have an increased susceptibility to cancer-causing substances, it's standard scientific practice to include a tenfold margin of safety," said Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the EWG. A string of lawsuits has occurred over the possible link between glyphosate and cancer Plaintiff Dewayne Johnson used Roundup as a groundskeeper in a California school district. He later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Josh Edelson/Reuters Around the same time that EWG released its August report, a judge ordered Monsanto to pay $78.6 million in damages to a groundskeeper who attributed his cancer to Roundup, the company's popular herbicide, which uses glyphosate as the active ingredient. The judge ruled that Monsanto had intentionally withheld information about Roundup's potential harm, but did not make any claims about whether it contributed to the plaintiff's cancer. On March 19, however, a federal jury ruled that Roundup was a "substantial" contributor to another man's cancer diagnosis in 2015. After using the weed-killer to tend his property for more than two decades, 70-year-old Edwin Hardeman said Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The jury has since ordered Monsanto to pay Hardeman $81 million for failing to warn about the risks of Roundup. Hardeman is one of thousands of plaintiffs who have filed similar claims against Monsanto, which was recently acquired by Bayer. On May 13, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay $2 billion in damages to a husband and wife, Alva and Alberta Pilliod, who each developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after using Roundup for 35 years. In a statement, Bayer said it would appeal the verdict. "We have great sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Pilliod, but the evidence in this case was clear that both have long histories of illnesses known to be substantial risk factors for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma," the company said in a statement. But the Pilliod case focused on the consequences of spraying Roundup — not ingesting traces of it. Are Cheerios safe to eat? Cheerios' Oat Crunch Cinnamon flavor stood out as particularly hazardous by the EWG's standards. Gene J. Puskar / AP Images In the wake of the EWG's findings, both General Mills and Quaker have insisted their products are safe to eat. The companies released statements to Fast Company citing their compliance with EPA standards. "Our products are safe and without question they meet regulatory safety levels," General Mills said. "Once the oats are transported to us, we put them through our rigorous process that thoroughly cleanses them," Quaker said in a statement, adding, "Any levels of glyphosate that may remain are significantly below any regulatory limits." But it still warrants the question: Are the EPA's standards up to par? A 2017 study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Public Health argued that it could be time to reassess our criteria. It found enough evidence to suggest that the existing EPA safety standards for glyphosate is "outdated and may fail to protect public health or the environment."<doc-sep>The wait is over, you can finally see this adorable panda cub Viral 'Charlie bit my finger' video to be taken down. Here's why Story highlights A new report argues that most breakfast foods tested have glyphosate levels that might pose a cancer risk with long-term consumption Manufacturers say their products are safe and are below legal limits on glyphosate (CNN) — Dozens of common breakfast cereals and snack bars have trace amounts of a controversial herbicide found in the weed killer Roundup, according to a report released today by an environmental advocacy group. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that 26 of the 28 products it tested had levels of Roundup’s main ingredient, glyphosate, that were “higher than what EWG scientists consider protective of children’s health.” An earlier report found similar results in over thirty oat-based foods. Manufacturers say their products are safe, but the EWG report argues that the vast majority of foods tested – such as Honey Nut Cheerios and Quaker Simply Granola Oats – have glyphosate levels that might pose a cancer risk with long-term consumption. None of the foods violated EPA limits on the herbicide, but the EWG uses a far more conservative health benchmark. California’s proposed glyphosate limit, which would be the most restrictive in the country, still allows for glyphosate levels that are over a hundred times higher than the EWG’s threshold. The environmental group says its lower threshold includes an added buffer for children, as “exposure during early life can have more significant effects on development later in life,” according to Dr. Alexis Temkin, the lead scientist on EWG report. But manufacturers dispute that threshold. Quaker said in a statement that the “EWG report artificially creates a ‘safe level’ for glyphosate that is detached from those that have been established by responsible regulatory bodies in an effort to grab headlines.” General Mills, whose products were also cited in the report, maintained that glyphosate levels in its foods do not pose any health risks. “The extremely low levels of pesticide residue cited in recent news reports is a tiny fraction of the amount the government allows,” the company said in statement to CNN. “Consumers are regularly bombarded with alarming headlines, but rarely have the time to weigh the information for themselves,” the company said. “We feel this is important context that consumers should be aware of when considering this topic.” Herbicide manufacturer ordered to pay $78 million to cancer victim In August, a jury in San Francisco ordered Roundup’s manufacturer, Monsanto, to pay $289 million in damages to a school groundskeeper who argued that the glyphosate-based weed killer caused his cancer. A judge on Monday upheld that decision but slashed Monsanto’s payout to $78 million. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer recently purchased Monsanto and said in a statement that the company plans to appeal the court’s decision. “Glyphosate-based herbicides have been used safely and successfully for over four decades worldwide,” the company said in a statement to CNN. “There is an extensive body of research on glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, including more than 800 rigorous registration studies required by EPA, European and other regulators, that confirms that these products are safe when used as directed.” The EPA concluded in 2017 that glyphosate “is not likely to be carcinogenic to humans,” but a World Health Organization agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), determined in 2015 that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” Dr. Chensheng Lu, an associate professor of environmental exposure biology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, defended the WHO group, calling it “a world renowned and reputable academic and research institute in cancer epidemiology.” The EPA, in contrast, “is a regulatory agency, and in many ways a political agency,” he said. “In 2018, I would not hold EPA’s view on glyphosate as a fact.” Confusion abounds over glyphosate cancer risk The IARC has vigorously defended its finding, but a separate WHO panel assessing pesticide residues determined in 2016 that “glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet,” adding to a dizzying array of contradictory findings. Puzzling conclusions like those are not uncommon in cancer research, according to Dr. Otis W. Brawley, the American Cancer Society’s chief medical and scientific officer. “IARC, I think, is very, very reasonable in their assessments,” he said, “but IARC will sometimes make an assessment that is not satisfying to many of us.” Brawley noted that the other commonly-consumed substances are also classified as potentially carcinogenic by the IARC. Based on limited evidence, for example, the IARC says that “drinking very hot beverages probably causes cancer of the esophagus in humans,” yet hundreds of millions of people drink coffee every day. “There are some groups that really want to alarm people and advocate for what’s called the precautionary principle,” Brawley said. “The precautionary principle, taken to its extreme, means you literally wouldn’t get up in the morning.” Brawley said that parents should instead make sure their kids are eating fruits, vegetables, and getting the nutrition they need. More children “are definitely going to be harmed by inappropriate diets,” he said, “than by a small amount of glyphosate in their oatmeal.” How much glyphosate is too much? Glyphosate can make its way into processed foods after being used on farms that grow oats. “Most crops grown in fields use some form of pesticides and trace amounts are found in the majority of food we all eat,” said General Mills in a statement. “We continue to work closely with farmers, our suppliers and conservation organizations to minimize the use of pesticides on the ingredients we use in our foods,” the company said. Still, some experts are urging parents to be vigilant. “I think it’s very important for people to realize how widespread exposure to glyphosate is,” said Dr. Sarah Evans, an assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “There are things in the foods that they purchase that aren’t listed on the label and that they probably don’t want to be giving to their children,” said Evans, who also works at Mount Sinai’s Children’s Environmental Health Center.<doc-sep>Two months after warning consumers that some food products may contain trace amounts of glyphosate, a weed-killing chemical linked to cancer, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is back with an expanded warning. In a test, EWG took samples of 28 different oat-based cereals and oat-based foods that are meant for kids and found trace amounts of a pesticide that exceed EWG’s thresholds. But, in statements to Yahoo Lifestyle, both Quaker Oats and General Mills vehemently deny the claims, stating that the levels still fall below the threshold of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), among other agencies. So what do you need to know? Among the brands that EWG confirmed to have higher levels of glyphosate than it deems acceptable were seven types of Cheerios (Honey Nut, Chocolate, Frosted, Oat Crunch, Very Berry, Apple Cinnamon, and Fruity), five types of Quaker Oats oatmeal (both Instant and Overnight), four Quaker Oats breakfast bars, and one type of granola. The products tested were purchased at grocery stores in two cities — San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The test results are available on the organization’s website. Glyphosate, according to the National Pesticide Information Center, is a weed killer that’s “applied to the leaves of plants to kill both broadleaf plants and grasses.” First introduced in 1974, glyphosate is reportedly the main ingredient in an herbicide made by Monsanto called Roundup — one of the most widely used weed killers in the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO) released a report in 2015 stating that there was “sufficient evidence” that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic.” Although the report raised controversy in the science world — with Reuters reporting that the WHO edited out non-cancer-causing findings — there is anecdotal evidence of the cancer-causing properties that the chemical possesses. In August, a man in California won a lawsuit against Monsanto stating that exposure to the weed killer led to his terminal cancer. A jury in San Francisco ruled in favor of the man, forcing the company to pay $289 million in damages. Story continues The Environmental Working Group has warned against Cheerios and other cereal products after it claims multiple brands have tested positive for weed killer. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) As a result of the demonstrated danger, EWG is warning consumers to be cautious about purchasing the products listed and is calling on General Mills and the Quaker Oats Company to address the findings. Both companies have routinely stressed that their products are “safe” and “meet regulatory safety levels.” In a statement to Yahoo Lifestyle, General Mills vehemently refuted the report. “General Mills’ top priority is food safety and has been for over 150 years. Most crops grown in fields use some form of pesticides, and trace amounts are found in the majority of food we all eat. Experts at the FDA and EPA determine the safe levels for food products. These are very strict rules that we follow as do farmers who grow crops,” the company tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “The extremely low levels of pesticide residue cited in recent news reports is a tiny fraction of the amount that the government allows. Consumers are regularly bombarded with alarming headlines but rarely have the time to weigh the information for themselves. We feel this is important context that consumers should be aware of when considering this topic.” General Mills noted that others have cast doubt on the dangers of the EWG reports on pesticides in the past. In a piece on Slate titled “You Don’t Need to Worry About Roundup in Your Breakfast Cereal,” Susan Matthews argues that the EWG’s report feeds off of “chemophobia” and that the metrics the organization sets unfairly skew the results. “The EPA threshold, which was set in 1993 (so no Trumpian interference to worry about), is 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day (140 milligrams per day for the average adult). That’s the reference dose that’s considered safe to consume daily throughout a lifetime,” Matthews writes. “None of the foods tested by EWG passes that threshold — they don’t even come close.” In another statement to Yahoo Lifestyle, Quaker Oats provided more support for the idea that these foods are safe — and that the EWG report is overblown. “The EWG report artificially creates a ‘safe level’ for glyphosate that is detached from those that have been established by responsible regulatory bodies in an effort to grab headlines and has the potential to falsely alarm consumers, leading them to avoid consumption of many oat-based foods that are proven to be beneficial for the human diet,” Quaker tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “We believe EWG’s approach is invalid, and we stand behind our statement that the Quaker products tested by EWG are safe. Producing healthy, wholesome food is Quaker’s number one priority, and we’ve been doing that for more than 140 years.” Despite that — and other articles — raising suspicion about the EWG’s process, the organization is doubling down on its claims. “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,” EWG president Ken Cook said in a statement. “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.” Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.<doc-sep>
Dozens of cereals, oatmeals and snack bars contain trace amounts of a weed killer that has been linked to cancer, a new report says. Released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the report found 26 of 28 oat-based cereal products that were tested had 'harmful' levels of glyphosate, the main ingredient of Roundup. Products included variations of Cheerios and Quaker Oats, including Honey Nut Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal Squares Honey Nut, and Quaker Overnight Oats. The weed killer was recently at the center of a trial in which a California jury found Roundup was responsible for giving groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, 46, terminal cancer. None of the products in the new report had levels above what is allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but the EWG argues that customers should be concerned that any levels are being detected in products consumed by children everyday. Dozens of cereals, oatmeals and snack bars, including Honey Nut Cheerios (left) and Quaker Oatmeal Squares Honey Nut (right), contain trace amounts of a weed killer linked to cancer The report from the Environmental Working Group found 26 of 28 oat-based cereal products that were tested had levels of glyphosate, the main ingredient of Roundup (pictured) In August, the EWG conducted its first study, which found the presence of glyphosate in 45 samples of breakfast cereals from producers Quakers, Kellogg's, and General Mills. On the heels of this study, the group wanted to dive further and test specifically Quaker Oats and Cheerios products, because high levels of glyphoste were found in the first study and they are two of the most popular cereal brands. For the new study, the EWG purchased the products at grocery stores in San Francisco and Washington, DC, and had them tested at Anresco Laboratories in San Francisco. Results of the samples showed glyphosate was detectable in all 28 products, and levels considered unsafe were found in 26. The EPA caps glyphosate tolerance at 5.0 parts per million (ppm). But the EWG's health benchmark is much more conservative and says any level greater than 160 parts per billion (ppb) is not safe. In the report, the highest level was found Quaker Oatmeal Squares Cereal Honey Nut, registering at 2,837 ppb. That number is nearly 18 times greater than EWG's benchmark. However, government agencies, manufacturers and advocacy groups seem to be conflicted about what is - and is not - considered safe. Following the results of the EWG's report, both General Mills and Quaker released statements insisting their products are safe. '[The] EWG report artificially creates a "safe level" for glyphosate that is detached from those that have been established by responsible regulatory bodies in an effort to grab headlines,' a statement from Quaker, sent to Daily Mail Online, read in part. 'We believe EWG's approach is invalid, and we stand behind our statement that the Quaker products tested by EWG are safe.' General Mills, the makers of Cheerios, also cited the group's benchmark, telling CNN: 'The extremely low levels of pesticide residue cited in recent news reports is a tiny fraction of the amount the government allows.' The EPA itself released a statement saying the report should not leave consumers concerned. But Dr Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist at the EWG who worked on the report, says the results are disconcerting. 'Just because something is legal doesn't mean it's safe or that it provides that extra level of protection for children,' she told Daily Mail Online. She mentioned that the EPA increased the amounts of glyphosate residue allowed on oats from 20 ppm in 1997 to 30 ppm in 2008. 'The EPA likely saw it was increasingly being used as a pre-harvest dessicant (the application of a herbicide crops shortly before harvest) and increased the limit to allow it to be legal,' Dr Temkin said. In August, a California jury ordered Monsanto to pay $289million to groundsman Dewayne Johnson, 46 (pictured), who claimed the weed killer is responsible for giving him cancer None of the products tested had levels above what is allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Pictured: Johnson's hand covered in lesions Glyphosate-based products are sold in more than 160 countries, and farmers use it on 250 types of crops in California alone, which is the leading farming state in the US. In March 2015, the World Health Organization found that that the herbicide is 'probably carcinogenic to humans'.