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| Pesticide spraying. CC photo by Will Fuller on Flickr |
Glyphosate (active ingredient of Roundup formula) is used on, and accumulated by, most GM crops. In light of Westminster's continued pressure to bring GM to English fields must have factored in glyphosate-tolerance in the novel crops: there are just too many of them out there to avoid it. The herbicide's carcinogenic potential has probably not been factored in.
With immaculately bad timing, the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), which plays a crucial role in protecting the integrity of the UK food chain, is to be privatised.
This will mean zero testing for glyphosate residues in our food: after all, Westminster doesn't want to upset its GM development apple-cart, and who else would pay for it?
On the other side of the pond, the US administration doesn't test anything for glyphosate either. It doesn't have to; because the food chain there is so thoroughly infiltrated with Roundup Ready GM products it already knows it's there.
However, US citizens can now test themselves or their water-supply for glyphosate contamination if they want. For only $119 Feed the World is offering a validated glyphosate test for water, urine, and (soon) breast milk.
OUR COMMENT
In light of glyphosate's new non-safe status, checking public exposure to it is imperative.It seems very likely, that the US administration is going to pay the price for turning a blind eye to food safety concerns just because there's a great big multi-national profiting from the food.
Lest we fall into the self-same trap as America, have a word with your MP about the need for unbiased tests of the real-life glyphosate situation in and around you. After all, the cost of ill-health is astronomically higher than the cost of a few laboratory tests.
Background:
[1] GLYPHOSATE IS A PROBABLE CARCINOGEN - May 2015
SOURCES
- Tom Bawden, Food safety sell-off sparks conflict-of-interest fears, Independent, 26.03.15
- The glyphosate saga and "independent scientific advice according to Germany, the UK and France, Corporate Europe Observatory, 2.04.15
- World's First Public Testing for Monsanto’s Glyphosate Begins Today, Organic Consumers Association Press Release, 23.04.15
- Got glyphosate? Find out! Organic Consumers Association Bytes, 26.04.15
- Henry Rowlands, World's First Validated public Testing Set to Increase Pressure for Ban on Glyphosate, Feed the World Press Release, 22.04.15
Don't forget that glyphosate is sprayed on many other crops which are not GM. There it is referred to as a "desiccant".
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