New study shows the pesticide Roundup is not properly regulated – as it appears more often in British bread

12 November 2012

A paper [1] published in the journal of Environmental and Analytical Toxicology highlights wide-ranging problems in regulation of the pesticide glyphosate over many years.

The new study finds that by discounting data showing negative impacts and relying on industry funded studies, regulators have understated the importance of research showing birth defects in experimental animals. The paper therefore calls into question the regulators’ conclusion that glyphosate and ‘Roundup’, its main commercial formulation, are safe.

Glyphosate is regularly found in cereals on sale in the UK. The Government’s own monitoring figures from 2009- 2011[2] show increasing frequency of glyphosate found in bread. An average of 24% of bread samples in the latest (2011) surveys contained glyphosate.

Peter Melchett, Soil Association Policy Director commented: “We are extremely concerned with these new findings which show further evidence of harm from glyphosate. Given this year’s terrible weather during harvest, farmers are even more likely to have used roundup on cereal crops [3].

“In this 50th anniversary year of the publication of the book Silent Spring, which first highlighted the problems associated with pesticide use, it is unbelievable that pesticide regulators are still not taking a sufficiently careful approach, are relying on industry data, and even seem to be ignoring negative results in the research”.

The paper follows the recently published French study by Professor Seralini, which reported increased levels of tumours and other health problems in rats fed on GM ‘Roundup Ready’ maize [4]. That study’s methods were attacked by the GM industry and some other scientists, even though they were the same methods regulators require when they give pesticides the green light.

The new paper concludes that pesticide regulators should take a precautionary approach and undertake a new and transparent risk assessment – from independent sources as well as industry sponsored studies, with full public transparency.

ENDS

For press enquiries contact the Soil Association press office:
Natasha Collins-Daniel, Press Office Manager – 0117 914 2448 / 07827 925380
Ncollins-daniel@soilassociation.org

Notes to Editors:
[1] http://www.omicsonline.org/2161-0525/2161-0525-S4-006.php?aid=7453
[2] http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/guidance/industries/pesticides/advisory-groups/PRiF/PRiF_Results_and_Reports/index-of-monitoring-results-by-year-quarter   / http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/guidance/industries/pesticides/advisory-groups/PRiF/PRiF_Results_and_Reports/2011_Results_and_Reports
[3] Farmers apply Roundup to wheat and barley crop as a desiccant in order to make it easier to harvest.
[4] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278691512005637