WAWG
In response to the recent announcement by Florida officials regarding glyphosate and bread products, the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG), North American Miller’s Association (NAMA), and American Bakers Association (ABA) issued the following joint statement:
“Our nation’s farmers, millers, and bakers proudly serve families and communities as they champion safe, consistent, accessible, and affordable bread. Food safety is the top priority for the grain we grow, the flour we mill, and the bread we bake for all Americans. We appreciate Healthy Florida First’s stated purpose of improving the lives of Floridians. Unfortunately, their recent announcement needlessly scares consumers about trace levels of glyphosate that don’t present genuine risks. Glyphosate is regulated and continuously reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure levels are safe for all consumers, from adults to children.”
EPA’s limits are set well below levels that could pose a risk to human health, typically with at least a 100-fold safety margin. At the highest level reported in recent testing of 191 parts per billion, an adult would need to eat approximately 600 loaves of bread every day for life and a child 300 loaves every day for life to reach the limits set by U.S. health authorities.
This statement from NAWG, NAMA, and ABA comes after the Florida Department of Health tested eight bread products across five national brands commonly available in Florida grocery stores, claiming glyphosate was detected in six of the eight products tested.
The safety of glyphosate has been evaluated extensively through decades of scientific research and regulatory review in the U.S., and several other countries including the European Union, Australia, Korea, Canada, New Zealand, and Japan. The EPA affirms that glyphosate, when used in accordance with approved agricultural practices, does not pose a risk to human health through dietary exposure. EPA has reviewed and reassessed its safety and uses, including undergoing registration review, a program that re-evaluates each registered pesticide on a 15-year cycle. Departing from this nationally consistent, science-based approach in favor of isolated testing results undermines scientific consensus and distorts public understanding of food safety. NAWG, NAMA and ABA will continue to work with federal regulators to ensure that food safety policy remains grounded in standardized, national scientific consensus.