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Glyphosate in Food

Glyphosate in Food: Avoid

These Contaminated
Products
Glyphosate is a chemical found in some weed killers
used by farmers. It is estimated that more than 80%
of Americans are exposed to glyphosate. Find out
which food products are contaminated with this
chemical and how to limit your exposure.

Written By : Mark C. Howell Jr., Ph.D.

Edited By : Amy Edel

This page features 12 Cited Research Articles

 Fac t Checked

Key takeaways:

81% of Americans have had recent exposure to

glyphosate.

The volume of glyphosate applied to crops has

increased 100-fold since the late 1970s.

The introduction of glyphosate-resistant crops in

1996 added to the exposure.

Roundup is the most widely used herbicide in the

world.

Bayer will stop selling Roundup in 2023, citing

risks to farmworkers and consumers.

One study found glyphosate in more than 95% of

the oat-based food samples.

What Is Glyphosate?

Glyphosate is the active chemical ingredient in

glyphosate-based herbicides. One of the most
common is the weed killer Roundup. Introduced to
the marketplace in 1974, initial toxicity testing results
led to an assumption that GBHs posed fairly low
risks to humans and other species.

Due to those findings, regulatory agencies around

the world set high acceptable exposure limits. The
volume of glyphosate applied to crops has increased
exponentially since the late 1970s, broadening
Americans’ exposure to the chemical. It is now the
most widely used herbicide in the world. The rise of
glyphosate-resistant crops in 1996 also added to
the increased exposure.

Farmers rely on herbicides like Roundup due to their

effectiveness in combating weeds. Invasive plant life
such as weeds can be highly detrimental to large
crops. Glyphosate-resistant crops effectively block
an enzyme essential for plant growth, allowing
farmers to target weeds.

Is Glyphosate Dangerous?
In short, there is a need for more scientific data.
Over the last two decades, researchers have begun
to take a closer look at the impact of glyphosate
toxicity, but have come up with conflicting evidence.

In 2016, the World Health Organization announced it

had determined glyphosate is “probably
carcinogenic.” In contrast, the Environmental
Protection Agency consistently maintains that its
scientists have found that “glyphosate is not likely to
be carcinogenic to humans.”

Hearing such drastically different findings makes it

hard for the American public to choose which one to
believe. More studies are necessary to settle the
debate.

It is interesting to note, however, that Bayer, the

company that owns the Roundup brand, announced
in 2021 that it would cease selling Roundup in the
residential lawn and garden market in 2023. It cited
the risks to farmworkers and consumers from
exposure to this toxic pesticide as the primary
reason for the decision.

This announcement came just two years after the

company was ordered to pay more than $80 million
in damages to a man who claimed in a Roundup
lawsuit that the product caused his non-Hodgkin
lymphoma.

Tips To Avoid Glyphosate in Food

Learning how to avoid glyphosate in food will enable
you to make more informed decisions about your
diet. There are four steps you can take immediately
to begin limiting your intake of glyphosate.

1. Look for Glyphosate Residue Free

Label
An organization known as the Detox Project created
a certification process to officially verify that
products are free from glyphosate contamination. It
uses an accredited third-party laboratory to test
manufacturers’ and farm suppliers’ products to
make sure their items do not contain glyphosate
residues. Once completed, the certification is valid
for one year.

2. Review List of Glyphosate-Free

Products
The Detox Project has already begun to certify
products as Glyphosate Residue Free. You can
peruse its list of certified Glyphosate Residue Free
products to find items that may be a quality
substitute for the contaminated item you no longer
wish to purchase.

3. Buy Organic Whenever Possible

Organic produce inherently offers an opportunity to
avoid glyphosate because certified organic produce
is grown without chemicals from any herbicides or
pesticides. Eating organic foods is not a complete fix
for this problem, but it can help heavily reduce
exposure to glyphosate. One recent study found
that people who ate an all-organic diet for just six
days reduced the amount of glyphosate in their
bodies by 70%.

4. Avoid Using Weed Killer on

Produce
When growing your own produce, choose not to use
Roundup in your garden. There are many ways to
find alternatives to Roundup — some organic
products on the market work well, and there are do-
it-yourself recipes you can try making at home.

Glyphosate Foods To Avoid

Most glyphosate-contaminated foods

When studying the prevalence of glyphosate in

certain foods, the numbers can be shocking. For
example, one study from the Environmental Working
Group revealed that glyphosate was present in more
than 95% of popular oat-based food samples. A
follow-up study identified cereals targeting children
as some of the most glyphosate-contaminated food
products. It measured the levels in parts per billion
(ppb) and worked with a benchmark for children’s
consumption of glyphosate of 160 ppb.

The most glyphosate-contaminated products

were:

Honey Nut Cheerios

Nature Valley Fruit
Medley Crunch
& Nut Chewy Trail
(833 ppb)
Mix Granola Bars,
Nature Valley Dark Chocolate
Crunchy Granola Cherry (275 ppb)
Bars, Maple Brown
Nature Valley
Sugar (566 ppb)
Protein Granola,
Nature Valley Oats and Dark
Granola Cups, Chocolate (261
Almond Butter (529 ppb)
ppb)
Multi Grain
Chocolate Peanut Cheerios (216 ppb)
Butter Cheerios
Nature Valley Soft-
(400 ppb)
Baked Oatmeal
Nature Valley Baked Squares, Blueberry
Oat Bites (389 ppb) (206 ppb)

Nature Valley Fiber One Soft-

Crunchy Granola Baked Cookies,
Bars, Oats and Oatmeal Raisin
Honey (320 ppb) (204 ppb)

Nature Valley Nature Valley

Crunchy Granola Granola, Peanut
Bars, Peanut Butter Butter Creamy &
(312 ppb) Crunchy (198 ppb)

Nature Valley Nature Valley

Granola Cups, Biscuits with
Peanut Butter Almond Butter (194
Chocolate (297 ppb)
ppb)

Safest Poison-Free Foods

The Environmental Working Group puts out an
annual list of the “Clean Fifteen,” which are the 15
fruits and vegetables with the lowest amounts of any
pesticide residues according to USDA data. Of this
list, just under 70% of the samples had zero
detectable pesticide residues.

The 2022 Clean Fifteen are:

Avocados
Kiwi
Sweet corn
Cabbage
Pineapple
Mushrooms
Onions
Cantaloupe
Papaya
Mangoes
Sweet peas (frozen)
Watermelon
Asparagus
Sweet potatoes
Honeydew melon

These tips on eating cleaner and greener can help

minimize your exposure to glyphosate and other
pesticides.

Protecting ourselves and our loved ones from the

hidden dangers of glyphosate toxicity requires
awareness and planning. While the health risks of
glyphosate in food have not been definitively proven,
there has been enough convincing evidence for a
multitude of Roundup lawsuits seeking justice for
those who’ve been injured as a result.

 Please seek the advice of a qualified professional

before making decisions about your health or
finances.

Last ModiSed: February 15, 2023

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Written By

Mark C. Howell Jr., Ph.D.

Medical Scientist, Researcher & Expert Contributor
Mark C. Howell Jr., Ph.D., holds a doctorate in medical
sciences and has published more than 20 peer-reviewed
scientific manuscripts, with over 900 citations, in high-
impact, peer-reviewed journals. He has over 10 years’
experience and expertise in multiple scientific disciplines,
including cell biology, oncology, virology, nanotechnology
and BioMEMS. Dr. Howell’s…

Edited By

Amy Edel

 Email

12 Cited Research Articles

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1. Ospina, M. et al. (2022, December). Exposure to glyphosate in

the United States: Data from the 2013–2014 National Health
and Nutrition Examination Survey. Retrieved from https://www.-
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412022005475

View Sources
2. U.S. EPA. (2022, September 23). Glyphosate. Retrieved from

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