Dive Brief:
- The California Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it intends to label the widely-used herbicide glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup, "known to cause cancer."
- The announcement is a "notice of intent" to list glyphosate as carcinogenic under Proposition 65, which "requires the state to publish a list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harms. The state regularly updates the list, which now includes hundreds of chemicals," according to East Bay Express.
- If all goes to plan, Monsanto could have to provide a "clear and reasonable" warning per the requirements for products included on the Prop 65 list.
Dive Insight:
Just as Monsanto fought back against the World Health Organization's findings that glyphosate was "probably carcinogenic" to humans, Monsanto will likely push back hard against this ruling. Monsanto felt that WHO's research was flawed and will likely argue the same in the case of the California EPA's decision.
California is a key player in U.S. agriculture, so having a Prop. 65 warning requirement on Roundup in this state could impact Monsanto.
The public now has until Oct. 5 to comment on the new proposed classification.