By
Fernando Rubio, Lori fields and Thomas Glaze, Eurofins Abraxis, USA
Glyphosate or N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine (See Figure 1) is the world’s most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide and crop desiccant, accounting for about 25 percent of the global herbicide market.
An organophosporous compound (phosphonate), it was first discovered to be an herbicide by Monsanto and introduced into the market in 1974 under the trade name ‘Roundup’. Glyphosate is sometimes applied on barley, wheat and other crops as a pre-harvest drying agent to speed up harvesting operations.
While glyphosate formulations such as Roundup have been approved by regulatory bodies worldwide, concerns about their effects on humans and the environment persist. Contradictory findings on carcinogenic risks have thrust glyphosate into the centre of dispute between EU and US politicians, regulators and researchers.
In March 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic in humans” (category 2A) based on epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies. In November 2015, however, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a report concluding that “glyphosate was unlikely to be genotoxic or pose a carcinogenic threat to humans”.
Amidst this contradictory information, in June 2016, the European Commission could not agree on re-registration of glyphosate for another 15 years. Instead, it granted a temporary license extension pending further scientific studies. As the scientific debate continues, consumer concerns about glyphosate in the food chain grow. The EPA (40 CFR Part 180) has established tolerances for various commodities, grain cereals: oatmeal, wheat and barley at 30 ppm or 30,000 ng/gm but organic standards for some commodities are as low as 10 ppb (10 ng/gm).
Read more HERE.
Glyphosate or N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine (See Figure 1) is the world’s most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide and crop desiccant, accounting for about 25 percent of the global herbicide market.
An organophosporous compound (phosphonate), it was first discovered to be an herbicide by Monsanto and introduced into the market in 1974 under the trade name ‘Roundup’. Glyphosate is sometimes applied on barley, wheat and other crops as a pre-harvest drying agent to speed up harvesting operations.
While glyphosate formulations such as Roundup have been approved by regulatory bodies worldwide, concerns about their effects on humans and the environment persist. Contradictory findings on carcinogenic risks have thrust glyphosate into the centre of dispute between EU and US politicians, regulators and researchers.
In March 2015 the World Health Organization (WHO) International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic in humans” (category 2A) based on epidemiological, animal and in vitro studies. In November 2015, however, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a report concluding that “glyphosate was unlikely to be genotoxic or pose a carcinogenic threat to humans”.
Amidst this contradictory information, in June 2016, the European Commission could not agree on re-registration of glyphosate for another 15 years. Instead, it granted a temporary license extension pending further scientific studies. As the scientific debate continues, consumer concerns about glyphosate in the food chain grow. The EPA (40 CFR Part 180) has established tolerances for various commodities, grain cereals: oatmeal, wheat and barley at 30 ppm or 30,000 ng/gm but organic standards for some commodities are as low as 10 ppb (10 ng/gm).
Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
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which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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