Bob’s Red Mill Sued Over Organic Oats Contaminated with Glyphosate Roundup
Bob’s Red Mill is facing a federal class action, filed in San Francisco Friday, after the world’s most used weedkiller, glyphosate, was discovered in both its organic and non-organic oats.
Over the years concerned consumers have questioned Bob’s Red Mill via their company blog on the presence of glyphosate in the oats being sold. Many of the responses to the comments regarding glyphosate directs customers to buy Bob’s Red Mill Organic oats if they want to avoid the chemical. However, despite the claim of safety Bob’s Red Mill organic oats had detectable amount of glyphosate.
Currently in the US, we are dumping 300 million pounds of glyphosate on our soil per year: two times as much as last year. Many vegetable oils, processed foods, and inorganic vegetables or fruits contain or have been sprayed with Roundup, thus they are contaminated with this ubiquitous chemical.
But can we keep ourselves safe from glyphosate and by eating only whole organic foods? Unfortunately, that does not provide us with 100% protection. The testing proves the glyphosate contaminates everything within range – including organic crops.
Bob’s Red Mill Company Statement:
Because we at Bob’s Red Mill are dedicated to bringing all of our customers natural, healthy products, whether organic or conventional, we have inquired directly with farmers and with our suppliers to determine if glyphosate desiccation is used by the farmers supplying our products. The majority of our conventional wheat is grown close to home in the Pacific Northwest where growing seasons are typically longer and the practice of desiccation is as such rarely used. We’ve been told desiccation is not a practice used by our individual farmers. The growing, harvest and communal storage practices sometimes used by the wheat industry in general make it nearly impossible, however, for our multi-source suppliers to guarantee the practice of glyphosate desiccation is not used with all of the conventional wheat the suppliers sell to us.We are able to assure our customers, however, that glyphosate desiccation is not a practice used for our organic products as the use of glyphosate is not permitted at any time in the cultivation of our organically grown ingredients. Our Customers who desire to be certain that glyphosate has not been used may wish to choose instead from our extensive line of certified organic products.
Customers are rightfully disappointed about the company’s tainted oats.
A concerned mother wrote:
EWG’s report listed that they found glyphosate in your Organic oats. Even though it seems small compared to the rest of the samples in the article, my baby eats your organic oats every day. I use it in almost all the recipes I cook for him. Are there any chances of cross contamination in your facilities between organic and non organic products?
Another mother wrote:
It was tested and the organic steel cut oats do contain glyphosate, and I’ve been feeding the organic steel cut oats to my 1.5yr old son daily for the past year.
Another customer said:
I am deeply disturbed to find out that tests by EWG discovered Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats does contain glyphosate. Although the amount of glyphosate found in your organic oatmeal are low I thought the use of glyphosate is strictly prohibited by the USDA’s National Organic Program. How is your organic oatmeal certified organic if there is allegedly trace amounts glyphosate in your product?
The Company’s response:
Our farmers of organic oats are 100% committed to growing their crops by the rules of the National Organic Program. The use of glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant isn’t allowed in the growing of organic oats. Unfortunately, even with the rules, it’s still possible for glyphosate to blow over from other non-organic farms. Even still, choosing organic is the best way to avoid pesticides and other chemicals in foods.
Bob’s Red Mill Why Not Test the Oats?
Mike S. an astute customer brought up a valid point:
I read the comments here over the years and wonder why you did not test your oats to be 100% able to say what you are selling. Being against something and doing something for it to change – are two different things. Looks like you went the easy way. https://www.newsweek.com/weed-killer-glyphosate-found-quaker-oats-cheerios-cereal-recall-organic-1075454
But perhaps, it wasn’t so easy. Now Bob’s Red Mill will face a lawsuit for its tainted grains.
“Consumers have a reasonable expectation that material product information, such as the presence of a probable carcinogen like glyphosate, will be provided by a product manufacturer, especially when the manufacturer affirmatively identifies the health-related attributes of its products such as “Gluten Free”, “Whole Grain”, and “Friend of the Heart,” the complaint states, adding that the labeling amounts to “misleading half-truths.” –
Why the Concern?
Glyphosate, weed killer, probable carcinogen and endocrine distruptor has been found on our foods. Glyphosate consumption has been linked to or associated with countless health problems. These include (I hope you’re ready): impaired cholesterol and fat metabolism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, insulin resistance and type II diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypothyroidism due to impaired thyroid-stimulating hormone activity, osteoporosis and arthritis, autism, a higher risk of contracting a salmonella infection, impaired development during adolescent years and even infertility.2,3
I’m not finished yet, this chemical is also associated with multiple types of cancer: non-Hodgkins’s lymphoma, melanoma, colon cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic, kidney, thyroid, and breast cancer.4,5 http://kinetik-fitness.com/show-all/1256/glyphosate-a-global-health-threat/
Wave of Lawsuits
A wave of class actions against food companies has caused many food brands to start seeking The Detox Project’s Glyphosate Free certification, according to their Director, Henry Rowlands; “The Detox Project has received a massive rise in inquiries from food brands regarding Glyphosate Residue Free certification, ranging from baby food to honey to supplement brands. So far we have 15 brands from around the world fully certified but over 50 brands have been in touch during the last week.”
Yet, Organics Is STILL The Healthier Choice
Though this is a concerning lawsuit, this doesn’t mean that organic isn’t worth investing in for your health. Pesticide drift is a real concern and is an most organic farmers take measures against. Yet even with drift, we believe that organic IS the healthier choice when it comes to reducing and avoiding pesticides, herbicides and GMOs.
Avoiding Glyphosate
See the Detox Projects certified brands to date
The lawsuits against food brands also follow the landmark cancer trial verdict in San Francisco very closely, in which Monsanto was ordered by a jury to pay over USD $289 Million in total damages to the former school groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson, a California father who has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which was caused by Monsanto’s glyphosate-based weedkiller Roundup.
Read the Classified Internal Documents that reveal Monsanto Knew the Toxicity of their Product
Eliminating Glyphosate?
Learn About the Glyphosate Detox
Health Damages of Glyphosate:
http://kinetik-fitness.com/show-all/1256/glyphosate-a-global-health-threat/
1 https://www.freep.com/story/news/health/2018/08/15/breakfast-foods-cereal-weed-killer/996282002/
https://www.ewg.org/childrenshealth/glyphosateincereal/#.W3TsHdhKhQI
2 https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/healthy-living/bobs-red-mill-oats-glyphosate/
http://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/featured-articles/glyphosate/.
