By Elle Carlos |Staff Writer|
A potential cancer causing chemical known as glyphosate and used in Roundup, a weed killer, has been found in infant formula, breast milk, honey, cereal, wheat flour and soy sauce, according to Time.
The FDA will begin testing foods after receiving ridicule from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for not conducting tests sooner, according to Time.
“The agency is now considering assignments for Fiscal Year 2016 to measure glyphosate in soybeans, corn, milk, and eggs, among other potential foods,” stated FDA spokeswoman Lauren Sucher.
These actions come a year after the World Health Organization reported glyphosate to be a possible cause of cancer, according to the Huffington Post.
Roundup manufacturer, Monsanto Co., is currently facing multiple legal battles, as farmers have sued the company on claims that the exposure to the chemical caused their cancer, stated Fox News.
Glyphosate is the most commonly used agricultural chemical.
Newsweek reported that Monsanto Co. believes that the herbicide is not harmful.
“The most extensive worldwide human health databases ever compiled on an agricultural product contradict the claims in the suits,” said Monsanto spokeswoman Charla Lord to Reuters.
Monsanto Co. brings in $5 billion in revenue on glyphosate products annually, according to Time.
FDA reported that glyphosate residue testing in six laboratories would cost about $5 million to conduct.
Among pesticide testing, both the FDA and USDA previously opted not to test foods for glyphosate because of the expensive cost for testing, according to Time.
It was suggested that glyphosate be added to the USDA pesticide data program by Michael Hansen, senior staff scientist at Consumers Union.
“The United Kingdom has been doing this for years. Given the vast expansion in use we should be seeing more exposure. They should have been doing it a lot earlier,” stated Hansen.
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