NEW YORK, New York — CBS This Morning reported the active ingredient in weed killer, glyphosate, which is widely suspected to be a carcinogen, was found in high levels in popular breakfast cereals, most notably Cheerios. The Environmental Working Group examined 21 kinds of cereal made by General Mills and determined the glyphosate was found in […]
Glyphosate found in cereals
NEW YORK, New York — CBS This Morning reported the active ingredient in weed killer, glyphosate, which is widely suspected to be a carcinogen, was found in high levels in popular breakfast cereals, most notably Cheerios.
The Environmental Working Group examined 21 kinds of cereal made by General Mills and determined the glyphosate was found in Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch at a rate five times greater than levels approved by the Environmental Working Group. Additionally, the Environmental Working Group found glyphosate in traditional Cheerios at a rate four-and-one-half times the amount accepted by the Environmental Working Group. Researchers say that the true threat to human well-being glyphosate presents is unknown at this time. The makers of Roundup say that the levels of glyphosate detected are far below standards permitted by federal agencies.
Physicians say that predicting what glyphosate will do to the body over a long stretch of time is impossible to determine. They do not know what effect ingesting the chemical will have after eating foods contaminated by it for a decade or more. Doctors suspect that the diseases potentially caused by glyphosate could have a long latency period. For its part, General Mills says that it works closely with the farmers from whom the company purchases products to ensure the highest quality of their foods as well as the safety of their customers.
Glyphosate has been connected to lymphoma. One doctor said that eating foods containing glyphosate are hazardous to health because the chemical kills bacteria in the G.I. tract. As a result, one’s endocrine system experiences a disruption, which might cause lymphoma. Glyphosate can also cause hormonal imbalance and cellular problems. The physician told CBS This Morning that most people have glyphosate in their urine due to the increased amount of the chemical to which Americans have been exposed. The FDA increased the levels of acceptable glyphosate since the 1990s when the use of glyphosate increased dramatically.
