Tests Reveal Nature Valley Products Contain Glyphosate,
an Ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup

Washington, DC – Today, three non profit organizations filed a lawsuit against General Mills for misleading the public by labeling their Nature Valley brand granola bars “Made with 100% NATURAL whole grain OATS.” It was recently discovered that the herbicide chemical glyphosate, an ingredient in Roundup and hundreds of other glyphosate-based herbicides, is present in the Nature Valley granola bars, which consumers expect to be natural and free of toxins.

Moms Across America, Beyond Pesticides and Organic Consumers Association with The Richman Law Group filed jointly on behalf of the non profit members in Washington DC under the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act.

“As a mother, when I read “100% Natural” I would expect that to mean no synthetic or toxic chemicals at all. Glyphosate is a toxic chemical that the EPA recognizes as a “reproductive effector” which “can cause liver and kidney damage” and “digestive effects.” It is unacceptable that Nature Valley granola bars contain any amount of this chemical.” Zen Honeycutt, Founder and Executive Director of Moms Across America.

A national survey conducted by Consumer Reports in 2015 finds that sixty six percent of consumers seek out products with a “natural” food label under the false belief that they are produced without pesticides, genetically modified organisms, hormones, and artificial ingredients.

“Glyphosate cannot be considered ‘natural’ because it is a toxic, synthetic herbicide,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. “Identified by the World Health Organization(WHO) as a carcinogen, it should not be allowed for use in food production, and certainly not in food with a label that suggests to consumers that the major ingredient –oats– is 100% natural, when it is produced with and contains the highly hazardous glyphosate,” he said.

“Food grown with dangerous pesticides like glyphosate isn’t natural. Consumers understand this. That’s why sales of natural products are booming. Unfortunately, companies’ misleading claims trick consumers into buying just what they’re trying to avoid. This has to be stopped.” -Alexis Baden-Mayer, Political Director of the Organic Consumers Association

The case specifically cites the use and presence of the weedkiller glyphosate in General Mills’ Nature Valley Granola products. The hazardous chemical is used during the production of oats, the major ingredient in these products, which are marketed as “natural” and labeled “Made with 100% Natural Whole Grain Oats.” As a result, glyphosate is present in the natural-labeled products.

Proponents of glyphosate herbicide use may claim that the residue levels found in many foods and beverages in America recently are below the EPA allowable levels established in 2014, and therefore consumers have no reason to be concerned. However, a 2015 study published in the journal Environmental Health finds that chronic, low-dose exposure to glyphosate as low as .1 parts per billion leads to adverse effects on liver and kidney health. A study released in early 2016 finds that glyphosate can cause changes to DNA function resulting in the onset of chronic disease, including diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The lawsuit alleges that, when marketing Nature Valley products, General Mills misleads and fails to disclose to consumers of the use and presence of glyphosate and its harmful effects. Plaintiffs are asking a jury to find that General Mills’ “natural” labeling is deceptive and misleading and therefore a violation of law, and require its removal from the market.

View a web version of this press release with links here

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Debra’s Answer

I just have to comment on this.

I have no problem with these groups filing a suit, however the logic just boggles my mind.

1. There is NO legal definition of “natural.” It is widely used in the marketplace in reference to ingredients being of plant, animal or mineral origin, and not petrochemical.

2. ALL so-called “natural” products contain pesticides, which are intentionally added to the ingredients during the growing of the plants and animals. Also other toxic chemicals may be used. This is all that “natural” means: the ingredients are not made from petrochemicals.

3. If General Mills is false and misleading, so is every other product that claims to be natural.

Part of the problem in the marketplace is our really inadequate labeling laws. Labels on food and personal care items require only that the ingredient that “goes into the pot” (so to speak) be on the label. Its like a recipe tells you only what to put in the bowl. Labels only list the end ingredient, even if it contains many other sub-ingredients.

For example, if “ham” is and ingredient in a food product, labeling laws do not require the label to list the nitrates that are in the ham. Nor do labeling laws require that pesticides or other processing chemicals be listed.

If I were labeling supermarket applesauce, I would say
* apples (with a list of pesticides commonly used on apples)
* GMO corn syrup
* water (with chlorine, fluoride and other water pollutants)

And then I would label organic applesauce
* apples
* water

But instead we have to say
* organic apples
* filtered water

And the toxic product requires no qualifiers to indicate that it is toxic.

We need a MASSIVE overhaul of labeling in order for consumers to know what is actually in products.

I would say most products on the market today are false and misleading with their labeling. General Mills Nature Valley is not the only one.

However, there is actually something that is false and misleading about Nature Valley, and it’s not the glyphosate. It’s that Nature Valley gives an impression that it is natural in it’s name, packaging and advertising.

I wonder if any of these products would sell if manufacturers were required to show consumers right on the label what’s in them.

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