We received a question from Rob: “Just saw a report on glyphosate contamination in popular foods. Results were expressed in ppb versus ppm. Should consumers be concerned with this report?”

The report found that foods such as Cheerios, Goldfish Crackers, Oreos and Doritos contain residues of the chemical glyphosate. Also known by the name Roundup, glyphosate is used to kill weeds in crops. Wayne Parrott, PhD, and William Vencill, PhD, professors in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia, provided some insight.

One of the things we wanted to know was how glyphosate could get into these foods. Dr. Parrott explained that the chemical has been used in agriculture since the 1970s.

“They are giving the impression that foods are contaminated with glyphosate, and if the glyphosate was not there, the foods would be otherwise pure, which is false. They found glyphosate in foods because they looked for it. Had they looked for other herbicides used in agriculture, they would probably have found them too,” he said.

Now to the first part Rob’s question. The report stated that Cheerios contained 1,125.3 ppb (or parts per billion) of the chemical. What’s the difference between ppb and ppm?

Dr. Vencill and Dr. Parrott: “Residues in foods are normally measured in ppm (parts per million) with 1 ppm being equivalent to about 7,500 people out of all the people on earth. A ppb is a part per billion, which is a really small unit of measurement, equal to 7 or 8 people out of everyone on the planet.”

The thing Rob and all of us really want to know is if this level of contamination is something to cause concern. The experts said these levels are “way too low” to worry about. The EPA conducts extensive safety tests, which are used to set the maximum level of chemical residues that food can contain and still be safe.

“On top of that, the EPA sets a safety margin by setting allowable residues at 100 to 1,000 times lower than the level that is considered hazardous,” he said. View the EPA safety levels for glyphosate. All of the foods that were tested showed to be below the EPA safe levels.

We also asked why glyphosate herbicide is used so much in growing crops.

Dr. Vencill and Dr. Parrott: “Glyphosate continues to be widely used because few, if any other herbicides, are as safe, effective, and economical.  By safe, I mean safer than table salt.”

Glyphosate shows up in many foods because it is used by farmers to raise food. The amount detected in foods is very small and well within the range determined to be safe by government agencies.

Originally published Dec. 9, 2016.

The post Glyphosate in Food appeared first on Best Food Facts.

What is chlorpyrifos?

Chlorpyrifos is a chemical compound in the category known as organophosphates, which explains the hard-to-pronounce name (sounds like clohr-PEER-uh-fos). It is sold under the trade names Lorsban, Warhawk and others.

Chlorpyrifos is an insecticide that is used to kill insects that feed on plants, trees or animals, and it has been used since 1965. For household use, chlorpyrifos is found in roach and ant bait stations in child-resistant packaging. The Environmental Protection Agency states that chlorpyrifos is used on more than 50 crops, including apples, asparagus, onions, grapes, almonds, broccoli, cherries, oranges, corn and soybeans. It is also used to kill insects on golf courses, greenhouses and utility poles.

Organophosphates are rapidly broken down into other chemicals so they do not build up in the environment, according to the Centers for Disease Control. They are not likely to build up to high or dangerous levels in animal or plant foods.

What are the concerns?

Organophosphates work by affecting the nervous system of insects.  They can also impact humans, which is why all pesticides carry this statement on the label: “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.”

Regulatory agencies routinely monitor pesticides for safety. Since 2000, the EPA changed some of the regulations about how chlorpyrifos can be used. Studies have examined the safety of the insecticide. According to the National Pesticide Information Center, chlorpyrifos exposure was linked to developmental delays in young laboratory animals. This study was conducted on laboratory animals and not on humans. Factcheck.org notes that some studies conducted by Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health do suggest that exposure to chlorpyrifos can lead to development issues in children, but they are correlational studies and do not provide causal links. Read about the difference between causation and correlation.

Last year, the EPA’s scientific advisory panel raised several questions about the methods used in one of the studies.

What is the latest?

The EPA had been considering further restrictions on uses of chlorpyrifos. On March 29, 2017, the EPA determined that based on the evidence available, chlorpyrifos could continue to be applied for the uses that have previously been approved. The safety of the chemical will continue to be studied.

“We will continue to evaluate the potential risks posed by chlorpyrifos as part of the ongoing registration review and intend to complete our assessment by the statutory deadline of Oct. 1, 2022,” the agency stated.

Chlorpyrifos is not approved for domestic use in Canada.

At Best Food Facts, we will continue to follow this topic and provide an update when it develops.

The post Chlorpyrifos: What We Know Today appeared first on Best Food Facts.