WHO Expert: “Glyphosate is Definitely Genotoxic”
The evidence against Monsanto grows
The World Health Organization’s International Agency for
Research on Cancer’s (IARC) has reiterated its stance on glyphosate’s
carcinogenic profile and now calls it ‘definitely genotoxic’ – just to
be sure the world understands that Monsanto is causing harm to human
beings and animals fed GM food.
One of the co-authors of the IARC report which found glyphosate to be ‘probably carcinogenic,’ professor Christopher Portier says that
there is ‘no doubt in his mind’ that Monsanto’s best selling product,
Round Up, is genotoxic. This means that it can damage DNA molecules in
genes, causing tumors and other serious health issues.
The professor reiterated his stance when speaking recently in London at a scientific briefing on glyphosate in Westminster, organized by the Soil Association.
The Soil Association, a charitable organization which promotes
organic food and sustainable agriculture, has asked the UK to ban the
use of glyphosate sprayed on wheat as a pre-harvest weed killer. When
the organization analyzed data released by the government recently, it
found that the herbicide is used in UK farming 400% more often in the
last 20 years and is one of the three pesticides regularly found in
routine testing of British bread – appearing in up to 30% of samples
tested by the Defra committee on Pesticide Residues in Food (PRiF).
Similarly, glyphosate is showing up in human blood, urine, and even breast milk.
Furthermore, it isn’t glyphosate as a singular ingredient that is
troubling. Dr. Robin Mesnage of the Department of Medical and Molecular
Genetics at Kings College in London has brought to the forefront new
research attesting to the synergistic toxicity of Round Up. The product is 1000 times more toxic than glyphosate alone.
