Man sues for 5 million dollars over glyphosate contaminated oatmeal

by: | May 10, 2016
Man sues for 5 million dollars over glyphosate contaminated oatmeal
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(NaturalHealth365) Eating a healthy breakfast is a great way to start your day, but not when your favorite breakfast food is contaminated with glyphosate – a highly toxic weed killer ingredient.  If you think that sounds ridiculous, think again.

The presence of the toxic chemical glyphosate in a breakfast staple has become the subject of a $5 million lawsuit brought by a consumer against Quaker Oats. The contamination flies in the face of the company’s claim that its products are 100 percent natural, according to the lawsuit.

But tainted oatmeal isn’t the only problem. Recent testing commissioned by the advocacy organization Alliance for Natural Health (ANH-USA) found glyphosate concentrations in 11 out of 24 samples of popular breakfast foods. Glyphosate – better known by its Monsanto trade name, Roundup – is a broad-spectrum, systemic herbicide, first introduced by Monsanto and used for control of weeds and grasses.

Presence of toxin is more widespread within food supply than expected

The lawsuit against the breakfast food giant alleges that the carcinogenic chemical glyphosate is being used on oats meant for human consumption, even being sprayed on them during harvest. That sort of widespread contamination is beginning to garner some attention.

A spokesperson for the ANH-USA explained that the agency had the testing done to see just how pervasive the toxin had become in the environment. While it was anticipated the weed killer would show up in trace amounts in foods containing primarily soy and corn, common targets for Roundup use, the organization was not prepared to find how common the poison was throughout the entire food chain.

Although the ANH-USA did not specifically identify the brand names of the food samples testing positive for glyphosate, sources analyzing the lab samples provided by the agency found that the contaminated products included such breakfast standbys as Quaker oatmeal, Thomas’ whole wheat bagels, Oreida hash brown potatoes, Pepperidge Farm whole grain bread, and Cream of Wheat, among others.

Perhaps most surprising was that both Silk-brand non-GMO soy creamer and Whole Foods 365 brand creamer tested positive for the poison.  Glyphosate has been used in the development of genetically modified (GMO) crop seed, such as the line of “Roundup Ready” products available from Monsanto. For this reason, the agency was expecting to find traces of glyphosate in certain products made from soy or corn.

These findings, however, deliver the unwelcome news that even non-GMO crops – including oats, barley, wheat and others – can be saturated with weed-killer chemicals. It is believed that in addition to being used as a weed killer, glyphosate is commonly sprayed on crops just prior to harvest as a drying agent.

Glyphosate is being linked to cancer cell growth

Glyphosphate is listed as “probable carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Although its use is banned in some countries, there are still over 750 products available that contain the toxin.

The European Union has issued a statement in which it describes the chemical as genotoxic, meaning it can damage the genetic information within cells, leading to mutations and potentially, cancer. Meanwhile, Monsanto is said to operate an entire department of public relations specialists devoted to dispel negative publicity surrounding its glyphosate product, Roundup.

Glyphosate has been linked to a number of cancers, including breast, thyroid, kidney, pancreas, liver, bladder and myeloid leukemia. One of the complicating factors is that products containing glyphosate usually contain other ingredients that help the chemical get into the plants. These other ingredients make the product more toxic.

Products containing glyphosate are known to cause eye and skin irritation. Breathing in spray mist from products containing the chemical brought about irritation in the nose and throat. Swallowing products that contain it can cause increased saliva, burns in the mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Fatalities have been reported in cases of intentional ingestion.

What will it take to stop the mass-poisoning of our society?

References:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3568268/Is-oatmeal-killing-Quaker-Oats-sued-5million-following-claims-WEED-KILLER-used-production.html

https://www.anh-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ANHUSA-glyphosate-breakfast-study-FINAL.pdf

/naturalnewslinks/053721_glyphosate_Quaker_Instant_Oats_Silk_soymilk.html

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