You probably were not aware that the cereal you eat most likely contains weed killer – specifically, Roundup®. It is the most popular week killer used, and it contains glyphosate. The residue of this chemical can be found in many of the foods we eat. Yum.

How Much Is Too Much?

The controversy surrounding weed killer in food has been around a long time. Back in 2013, the EPA raised the limit for glyphosate residue from 20 parts per million (ppm) to 40 ppm for fruits and vegetables. This was during the time of the “Monsanto Protection Act.” Currently, levels of glyphosate found in grains are deemed within legal limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency’s tolerances.

Still, even though the amount of glyphosate in the food chain is legal, one has to wonder at what point does it become a problem? The fact weed killer is found in virtually all cereals kids eat is troubling, and yet, it has been there for decades.

Murky Waters

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is a branch of the World Health Organization, did studies on glyphosate and deemed it as a “probable” human carcinogen. Without a solid designation as a carcinogen or not a carcinogen, the weed killer’s impact on humans through ingestion remains in the territory of the doubt.

In addition to the doubt raised by whether or not it is a definitive carcinogen, there is the matter of how much is too much. The amount that occurs in the foods we eat is very small. The testing done on animals to determine if a substance is a carcinogen exposes the animals to an unusually high amount of the substance, much higher than would actually be consumed by a human.

Studies Show Weed Killer Is Not a Problem

There have been studies conducted to determine whether glyphosate is harmful to humans in the levels allowed by law. To date, after studying thousands of people who work with glyphosate, The National Cancer Institute has not found a link between the chemical and cancer in humans.

It would be nice to serve our kids cereal, crackers and granola bars that are free from weed killer. Unfortunately, that is probably not going to happen in the world we live in today. For now, the best we can do is stay informed, eat healthy foods and don’t panic.

The law firm of Frohlich, Gordon & Beason, P.A., specializes in personal injury and business litigation. We invite you to contact us for a free consultation regarding your case. We are the lawyers who care and our offices are conveniently located in Port Charlotte, North Port, and Englewood to serve southwestern Florida communities.