by Joseph Mercola
March 22, 2016
from Mercola Website

 

 

 

 

 


Monsanto is Inside Everything

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, recently earned the ominous title of the most heavily-used agricultural chemical of all time. 1

In fact, an analysis showed that farmers sprayed enough glyphosate in 2014 to apply 0.8 pounds of the chemical to every acre of cultivated cropland in the U.S., and nearly 0.5 a pound of glyphosate to all cropland worldwide.

As you might suspect, when you use this much of a chemical, it doesn't simply stay on the fields.

 

Laboratory testing commissioned by the organizations Moms Across America and Sustainable Pulse revealed that glyphosate is now showing up virtually everywhere.
 

 

 


Monsanto's 'Gift' to Newborns

The analysis revealed glyphosate in levels of 76 μg/L to 166 μg/L in women's breast milk.

 

As reported by The Detox Project, this is 760 to 1,600 times higher than the EU-permitted level in drinking water (although it's lower than the U.S. maximum contaminant level for glyphosate, which is 700 μg/L.) 2

This dose of glyphosate in breastfed babies' every meal is only the beginning. An in vitro study designed to simulate human exposures also found that glyphosate crosses the placental barrier. In the study, 15 percent of the administered glyphosate reached the fetal compartment.

Angelika Hilbeck, Ph.D., senior scientist at the Institute of Integrative Biology in Zurich, told The Detox Project: 3

"If confirmed in a full investigation, it seems that glyphosate has become a ubiquitous chemical in terms of presence and persistence.

This data also offers a first indication of potential accumulation in the human body, giving newborns a substantial dose of synthetic chemicals as a 'gift' for their start into life, with unknown consequences.

This is reckless and irresponsible conduct in a democratic society, which still has a living memory of previous reckless chemical contaminations, such as DDT."

 

 


Glyphosate Found in Blood and Urine Samples

The analysis revealed glyphosate in additional samples as well, including the blood of non-pregnant Canadian women.

 

Their average level was 73.6 μg/L, which is similar to the concentration found to have endocrine-disrupting effects in vitro.

Further, glyphosate was also detected in urine samples, and U.S. women had maximum glyphosate levels that were more than eight times higher than levels found in urine of Europeans.

Where is the glyphosate exposure coming from?

 

It's likely coming from food (although it could be in water as well). We don't know exactly how much glyphosate may be in your food because the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not test for it.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced in February 2016 that it would begin testing foods for glyphosate, however, which will help to quantify just how much glyphosate Americans are consuming.

For now, the analysis suggests that eating non-organic, genetically engineered (GE) foods (the prime candidates for Roundup spraying) is associated with higher glyphosate levels in your body.

 

The Detox Project explained: 4

"Glyphosate levels have been found to be significantly higher in urine of humans who ate non-organic food, compared with those who ate mostly organic food.

 

Chronically ill people showed significantly higher glyphosate residues in their urine than healthy people. In a separate detailed analysis, glyphosate was found in the urine of cows, humans, and rabbits.

 

Cows kept in a GM-free area had significantly lower glyphosate concentrations in urine than cows in conventional livestock systems."

 

 


Glyphosate Is Contaminating Air and Water

Glyphosate and its degradation product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), were detected in more than 75 percent of air and rain samples collected during the 2007 growing season in the Mississippi Delta agricultural region. 5

This could be even higher now, as since 1996 the use of glyphosate has risen nearly 15-fold. 6 The testing commissioned by Moms Across America also found glyphosate in 13 of 21 U.S. drinking water samples tested. 7

They contained glyphosate levels between 0.085 ug/l and 0.33 ug/l, which is only slightly below the EU maximum allowed level for glyphosate in drinking water of 0.1 ug/l. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard for glyphosate in U.S. water supplies is 0.7 ppm.

Further, a 2012 analysis used a magnetic particle immunoassay to test for the presence of glyphosate in roughly 140 samples of groundwater from Catalonia, Spain.

 

The analysis found that glyphosate was present above the limit of quantification in 41 percent of the samples.

This suggests the chemical does not break down rapidly in the environment, as its manufacturer claims, and instead it might be accumulating (both in the environment and in people).

Groundwater, which is water from rain, lakes, streams or other bodies of water that soaks into soil and bedrock, can easily become contaminated when chemicals in the soil with low biodegradability and high mobility empty into it.

When groundwater is used as a drinking water source, this contamination poses a risk to animals, plants and humans alike.
 

 

 


Glyphosate Is Sprayed on Some Crops Right Before Harvest

In northern, colder regions, farmers of wheat and barley must wait for their crops to dry out prior to harvest.

Rather than wait an additional two weeks or so for this to happen naturally, farmers realized they could spray the plants with glyphosate, killing the crop and accelerating their drying (a process known as desiccating).

Desiccating wheat with glyphosate is particularly common in years with wet weather and has been increasing in North Dakota and Upper Midwestern states in the U.S., as well as in areas of Canada and Scotland (where the process first began).

 

One Canadian farmer told EcoWatch: 8

"I think every non-organic farmer in Saskatchewan uses glyphosate on most of their wheat acres every year… I think farmers need to realize that all of the chemicals we use are 'bad' to some extent…

Monsanto has done such an effective job marketing glyphosate as 'safe' and 'biodegradable' that farmers here still believe this even though such claims are false."

What this means is that even non-GE foods are likely to be contaminated with glyphosate, and possibly even more so because they're being sprayed just weeks prior to being made into your cereal, bread, cookies and the like.
 

 

 


Many Crops Are Desiccated With Glyphosate, a 'Barbaric' Process

Along with wheat and oats, other crops that are commonly desiccated with glyphosate include:

 

Lentils Peas Non-GMO soybeans
Corn Flax Rye and buckwheat
Triticale Canola Millet
Sugar beets Potatoes Sunflowers


 

No one is keeping track of how many crops are being desiccated with glyphosate; those in the industry have described it as a "don't ask, don't tell policy."

Others have described spraying crops with glyphosate just days before harvest "barbaric."

 

Charles Benbrook, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the recent study showing glyphosate use is increasing, 9 told EcoWatch: 10

"It may be two percent of agriculture use, but well over 50 percent of dietary exposure… I don't understand why Monsanto and the food industry don't voluntarily end this practice.

 

They know it contributes to high dietary exposure (of glyphosate)."

 

 


European Union Puts Off Decision to Renew Use of Glyphosate

European Commission leaders met in early March 2016 to vote on whether to renew a 15-year license for glyphosate, which is set to expire in June.

 

The decision has been tabled for now amid mounting opposition. More than 180,000 Europeans signed a petition calling for glyphosate to be banned. They cited the International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC) determination that glyphosate is a "probable carcinogen" (Class 2A).

This determination was based on evidence showing the popular weed killer can cause non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and lung cancer in humans, along with "convincing evidence" it can also cause cancer in animals.

 

The opposition comes amidst another new report that found 75 percent of the German population has glyphosate residue in their urine.

The majority of those tested had levels that were five times higher than the legal limit of drinking water, while one-third had levels that were between 10 and 42 times higher than the legal limit. 11

 

A study of glyphosate residues by the Munich Environmental Institute also found glyphosate in 14 best-selling German beers. 12
 

 

 


Monsanto CEO Caught Lying

In a Twitter conversation with Monsanto, TriplePundit said they hoped to gain a,

"constructive conversation" and "build some bridges with an organization that has a lot of power and opportunity to do good." 13

In the conversation, Monsanto's CEO Hugh Grant claimed the company's position on GMO labeling may be shifting, stating:

"The myth is that we're against labeling. The reality is we would support some kind of federal standard. We would support something that covers the country, that helps consumers.

 

Our concern has been the danger of a state-by-state labeling approach that resulted in confusion and expense."

As TriplePundit reported, however, it's no "myth" that Monsanto is against such labeling: 14

"This statement is somewhat at odds with Monsanto's website, last updated in 2013:

'We oppose mandatory labeling of food and ingredients developed from GM seeds in the absence of any demonstrated risks, as it could be interpreted as a warning or imply that food products containing these ingredients are somehow inferior to their conventional or organic counterparts'."

 

 


Monsanto Spends Millions to Prevent GMO Labeling Initiatives

Monsanto has spent millions to defeat GMO labeling initiatives, so you won't know which foods contain their genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

 

In 2013, the company donated nearly $5 million to the anti-labeling campaign in Washington State, and in 2012 they donated more than $7 million to help defeat California's Proposition 37.

 

In total, Monsanto has spent at least $22 million in lobbying against state-level GMO labeling initiatives. 15

Together with the food and industrial agriculture industries, biotechnology companies like Monsanto spent more than $101 million on lobbying to avert GMO labeling and preempt state rights, and that was in 2015 alone. 16

They may feel defeat is near, as such lobbying efforts have risen sharply. For instance, these industries spent $66 million on such lobbying efforts in 2014 and just over $25 million in 2013. 17

 

They are trying to HIDE the presence of genetically engineered ingredients and are pulling out ALL the stops to do so.
 

 

 


Health Risks of Glyphosate

Glyphosate has a number of devastating biological effects beyond being a probable carcinogen, including the following:

 

Nutritional deficiencies, as glyphosate immobilizes certain nutrients and alters the nutritional composition of the treated crop

Disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids (these are essential amino acids not produced in your body that must be supplied via your diet)

Increased toxin exposure (this includes high levels of glyphosate and formaldehyde in the food itself)

Impairment of sulfate transport and sulfur metabolism; sulfate deficiency
Systemic toxicity - a side effect of extreme disruption of microbial function throughout your body; beneficial microbes in particular, allowing for overgrowth of pathogens Gut dysbiosis (imbalances in gut bacteria, inflammation, leaky gut, and food allergies such as gluten intolerance)

Enhancement of damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and environmental toxins as a result of glyphosate shutting down the function of detoxifying enzymes

Creation of ammonia (a byproduct created when certain microbes break down glyphosate), which can lead to brain inflammation associated with autism and Alzheimer's disease


 

 


How to Avoid Pesticides in Your Food

Your best bet for minimizing health risks from pesticide exposure is to avoid them in the first place, by eating organic as much as possible and investing in a good water filtration system for your home or apartment.

 

If you know you have been exposed to pesticides, the lactic acid bacteria formed during the fermentation of kimchi may also help your body break down pesticides.

So including fermented foods like kimchi in your diet may also be a wise strategy to help detox the pesticides that do enter your body. One of the benefits of eating organic is that the foods will be free of GE ingredients - and this is key to avoiding exposure to toxic glyphosate.

 

Following are some great resources to obtain wholesome organic food.


Eating locally-produced organic food will not only support your family's health, it will also protect the environment from harmful chemical pollutants and the inadvertent spread of genetically engineered seeds and chemical-resistant weeds and pests.

 



SAD NEWS - House Passes DARK Act Compromise

The House passed a compromise to the DARK Act that will force food distributors to disclose the presence of genetically engineered (GE) ingredients with a smartphone scan code.

 

President Obama has signed the bill that removes states' rights for labeling GMOs.

 

The bill is full of loopholes, which may allow genetically modified ingredients to slip through unannounced.

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), aka GE foods, are live organisms whose genetic components have been artificially manipulated in a laboratory setting through creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacteria and even viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.

GMO proponents claim that genetic engineering is "safe and beneficial," and that it advances the agricultural industry. They also say that GMOs help ensure the global food supply and sustainability. But is there any truth to these claims? I believe not.

 

For years, I've stated the belief that GMOs pose one of the greatest threats to life on the planet. Genetic engineering is NOT the safe and beneficial technology that it is touted to be.

The FDA cleared the way for GE Atlantic salmon to be farmed for human consumption.

 

Thanks to added language in the federal spending bill, the product will require special labeling so at least consumers will have the ability to identify the GE salmon in stores.

 

However, it's imperative ALL GE foods be labeled clearly without a smartphone scan code because not everyone owns a smartphone.

The FDA is threatening the existence of our food supply. We have to start taking action now. I urge you to share this article with friends and family. If we act together, we can make a difference and put an end to the absurdity.

 

 

 


Boycott Smart Labels Today

When you see the QR code or so-called Smart Label on a food product, pass it by.

 

Products bearing the Grocery Manufacturer's Association's (GMA) Smart Label mark are in all likelihood filled with pesticides and/or GMO ingredients.

The GMA's 300-plus members include chemical technology companies, GE seed and food and beverage companies.

...are just some of the heavy-hitters in this powerful industry group, which has showed no qualms about doing whatever it takes to protect the interest of its members.

Don't waste your time searching through their website, which may or may not contain the information you're looking for. If they insist on wasting your time and making your shopping difficult, why reward them with a purchase?

A little known fact is that the GMA actually owns the "Smart Label" trademark that Congress has accepted as a so-called "compromise" to on-package GMO labeling, and that's another reason why I believe the Smart Label mark is the mark of those with something to hide, such as Monsanto.
 

 



Will you financially support a corrupt, toxic and unsustainable food system, or a healthy, regenerative one?

 

There are many options available besides big-brand processed foods that are part of the "GMA's verified ring of deception."

 

You can:

 

Shop at local farms and farmers markets


Only buy products marked either "USDA 100 percent Organic" (which by law cannot contain GMOs), "100 percent Grass-Fed" or "Non-GMO Verified"


If you have a smartphone and you don't mind using it, download the OCA's Buycott app to quickly and easily identify the thousands of proprietary brands belonging to GMA members, so you can avoid them, as well as identify the names of ethical brands that deserve your patronage

Last but not least, encourage good companies to reject QR codes and to be transparent and clear with their labeling. This will eventually ensure that all GMO foods can easily be identified by the GMA's "verified ring of deception" mark that is the Smart Label.

Campbell's, Mars, Kellogg's, ConAgra and General Mills all vowed to voluntarily comply with Vermont's GMO labeling law by labeling all of their foods sold across the U.S. Will their plans change now that the law has been passed by Congress and signed by the President?

 

That remains to be seen, but if you like these companies, I would encourage you to reach out to them and ask them to remain steadfast in their promise.

 

 

 

Sources and References