Pesticide Hazards

Weedkiller found in granola and crackers, internal FDA emails show

Scientists with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have detected a weedkiller linked to cancer in a wide range of food products, according to emails obtained through a freedom of information request. The FDA has been testing food samples for residues of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup herbicide, for two years but has not […]

These Farmers Switched to Organic After Pesticides Made Their Families Sick

Some farmers transition to organic production to earn premium prices. Others switch to make their farms more sustainable. But for some farmers, transitioning to organic is a necessary way to protect their family’s health—and even save their lives. Blaine Schmaltz, who farms in Rugby, North Dakota, is a good example. One day in 1993, Schmaltz […]

Portable pesticide sensors for produce coming soon

In the wake of weak monitoring of pesticides by the FDA and USDA, a University of Texas Dallas professor has built an inexpensive handheld device to test pesticide levels. Shalini Prasad’s tool will allow consumers, grocers, organic certifiers and growers to soon be able to check for pesticides on produce themselves. When a swab is […]

California: Monsanto not required to put warning label on Roundup

A federal judge has overturned a January 2017 opinion, stopping a California decision to require designation of glyphosate as a carcinogen and placement of a warning label on products containing it. U.S. District Judge William Shubb favored Monsanto in its First Amendment lawsuit, citing a lack of sufficient evidence that glyphosate is cancer-causing—suggesting that a […]

EPA softened dicamba restrictions on basis of Monsanto research

“The EPA expects that exposure will remain confined to the dicamba treated field.”