Glyphosate in food - how dangerous is it?

The pesticide glyphosate was once considered a blessing of modern agriculture: cheap and without side effects for animals and humans. But these times are over: More and more critics doubt the harmlessness of the pesticide and see a connection between its use and health problems among farmers, seriously ill dairy cattle and malformed pigs.

The "International Agency for Research on Cancer" (IARC) has classified the active substance as "probably carcinogenic". An opinion of enormous explosive power, because even in Germany about 40 percent of arable land is sprayed with glyphosate - and the remedy does not just stay there: even in human urine, glyphosate was found in 70 percent of all subsequently examined samples in Europe.



News: Glyphosate detected in beer

As a study by the Environmental Institute Munich announced, the pesticide can also be detected in German beer. 14 beer brands with the highest sales in Germany were examined? In all varieties, the researchers were able to prove the pesticide.

According to the Environmental Institute, the highest pollution was caused by the Hasseröder brand, in which 29.74 micrograms per liter could be detected. The lowest burden was the Augustiner brand with 0.46 micrograms of glyphosate per liter. Nonetheless, the amount is above the drinking water limit of 0.1 micrograms. The pesticide could have entered the beer through hops and grain, because the use of glyphosate is commonplace in conventional cereals cultivation.

The following 14 beers are affected:



  • Krombacher
  • Oettinger
  • Bitburger
  • Veltins
  • Beck's
  • Paulaner
  • Warsteiner
  • Hasseroeder
  • Radeberger
  • Erdinger
  • Augustiner
  • Franciscan
  • König Pilsener
  • Jever

What is glyphosate actually?

The world's most widely used herbicide herbicide was developed by Monsanto in the 1970's. He is known especially under the name "Roundup". However, glyphosate is also found in many other pest control products, usually in combination with other toxic substances.

The remedy interferes with the metabolism of the (unwanted) plant, causing it to die off. In Germany, about 6000 tonnes were used in 2014, in agriculture, on public green areas, playgrounds and also in private gardens. It is said to be more than 700,000 tons worldwide.



Why is this remedy used so often worldwide?

In particular, the introduction of genetically modified crops such as soybeans in the US and South America has led to a significant increase in glyphosate use: these plants have been bred to be resistant to glyphosate, so they can grow extensively in the growing areas Dose to be used against weeds.

Critics have always viewed this as uneasy: from regions in Argentina where glyphosate is widely used for genetically modified soya, there are reports of increased rates of childhood cancer. A widespread use is also just before the harvest, to achieve the simultaneous ripening of all plants by a surface "dead spraying".

This "siccation" is considered the main reason for the widespread glyphosate residues in food. It has only been allowed to a limited extent in Germany since 2014, but continues to be practiced worldwide, even with potatoes and legumes. And, last but not least: Since weeds also develop resistance to the drug, more and more of them have to be used each year to make it even more effective.

Glyphosate was classified as "likely to cause cancer". What does it mean exactly?

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the authoritative scientific authority of the World Health Organization (WHO) on cancer risks. She classified glyphosate at level 2 A ("probably carcinogenic to humans") and proved this with over 200 references and analyzes.

According to researcher Aaron Blair, classification into Tier 1 ("definitely carcinogenic") has also been seriously discussed, but has been alleviated as a precautionary measure because of the lack of data. In any case, the IARC sees significant health risks that need to be further examined.

In which foods has glyphosate been found so far?

Eight out of ten tested rolls are contaminated with the toxin according to tests of the magazine "Ökotest", as well as bread, flour and oatmeal. Residues were also found in lentils and imported soya for animal feed. Although glyphosate is also used in fruit and wine growing, there are no extensive measurements on glyphosate contamination.

Uncertainty caused recently a small study commissioned by the Greens, according to the glyphosate contained in the breast milk of 16 breastfeeding mothers, albeit in very low concentration. However, for environmental organizations and consumer advocates, the findings in urine and breast milk are clear evidence that we are all taking glyphosate on a regular basis.

How can I protect myself as a consumer from glyphosate?

First of all, do not use chemical pesticides in your own garden. At present, glyphosate is still freely available for domestic use in Germany and is also often used by amateur gardeners. Dodging another pesticide is also not recommended by environmentalists. The better alternative is to pluck yourself, even burning would be even better, according to the consumer center Lower Saxony than chemistry.

If you want to be absolutely sure that your food does not contain any residues of glyphosate, you have to buy organic products, because organic farming generally prohibits the use of chemical-synthetic pesticides. Organic people also support the increased efforts of organic farming (for example, mechanical weed control) so as not to pollute the soil and preserve biodiversity.

How much glyphosate is still considered harmless in food?

The answer is very controversial. Currently, the recommended limit for glyphosate intake is 0.3 mg per kilogram of body weight per day - and even the highest levels of glyphosate previously detected in foods are so low that eating alone can not reach the limit ,

But: Should glyphosate, as now thought, have a hormone-like or carcinogenic effect, "even the smallest amounts of it could be enough to cause cancer," says Britta Schautz of the Consumer Center of Lower Saxony, which argues for a precautionary European ban on the drug. One should also keep in mind that in hazard analyzes glyphosate is only tested as a single agent, but in fact is usually used as a combination of active ingredients. "And nobody knows how these other connections work in the short, medium and long term," says biologist Angelika Hilbeck of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH).

Even the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) now acknowledges that for detectable carcinogenic substances, a threshold value does not make sense, since they can have a damaging effect even in the lowest dose.

Will glyphosate be taken off the market soon?

A ban on glyphosate-containing pesticides for private use is discussed in politics, many DIY stores have taken corresponding products from the range. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is currently examining whether it would extend the approval for European agriculture for another ten years - the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) had already given the go-ahead for this, but the decision was initially postponed until autumn ,

Observers like Julia Sievers-Langer of the organization "Agrar Koordination" are eagerly awaiting the decision: "The classification of the International Agency for Research on Cancer confirms that a ban on glyphosate is urgently needed." Whether it comes to this? That would be a sensation in view of the big economic interests in this remedy.

Does the World’s Top Weed Killer Cause Cancer? (March 2024).



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