Dive Brief:
- FDA will begin testing for the presence of glyphosate in foods, an FDA spokeswoman told Civil Eats.
- Last year, the WHO's cancer researchers concluded that glyphosate was a probable human carcinogen. Previously, the U.S Government Accountability Office had recommended that the FDA improve its testing methodology and disclose to the public the agency's limitations in testing for glyphosate.
- "If FDA does move forward with additional testing in a scientifically rigorous manner, we are confident it will reaffirm the long-standing safety profile of this vital tool used safely and effectively by farmers, landowners and homeowners around the world," Monsanto said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
If FDA begins testing for glyphosate residue and routinely finds unsafe amounts in food and beverage products, this impact could ripple well beyond Monsanto and farmers to impact the manufacturers that use ingredients treated with glyphosate, particularly GMOs. Corn and soybeans are commonly genetically-modified and treated with glyphosate.
Costs were also a concern for the FDA, which the agency said prevented it from testing for glyphosate in the first place. FDA told Agri-Pulse that the detection methods would have been "very cost- and labor-intensive to implement in FDA field labs," but new "streamlined methods" have brought down those costs.
If the FDA does detect glyphosate in large amounts in the food supply, it could solidify concerns consumers have about pesticides and chemicals. This could brew more distrust in GMOs and the companies that use GMO ingredients in their products.