Brussels | Reuters –– The head of Europe’s food safety watchdog has written to a group of nearly 100 senior scientists strongly rejecting their criticisms in a row about the safety of glyphosate. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which advises European Union policymakers, issued an opinion in November that glyphosate is unlikely to cause […] Read more

EU food safety watchdog hits back in glyphosate safety row

Monsanto-backed panel says glyphosate not carcinogenic
Reuters — A panel of scientists is disputing a World Health Organization report published earlier this year that concluded glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weed killer and main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, is probably carcinogenic to humans. The 16-member panel, assembled by Intertek Scientific and Regulatory Consultancy, was to present its findings to […] Read more

No fallout seen for Enlist Duo in Canada from U.S. action
The company behind Enlist corn and soybeans and Enlist Duo herbicide expects business as usual for the products in Canada, while the herbicide runs up against a new regulatory hurdle in the U.S. According to the Reuters news service, the U.S. federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a request late Tuesday with the U.S. Court […] Read more

U.S. EPA asks court to pull registration for Enlist Duo
UPDATED, Nov. 25, 2015 — Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking court approval to withdraw registration of Dow AgroSciences’ herbicide Enlist Duo, as the agency studies new information regarding the product’s impact on non-target plants, according to court documents filed late Tuesday. The EPA approved the herbicide for sale […] Read more

EU scientists say glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer
Brussels | Reuters — Glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer in humans, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which nevertheless proposed limits on Thursday on the amount of residue of the herbicide widely used by farmers deemed safe to consume. The EFSA advises EU policymakers and its conclusion could lead the 28-member European […] Read more

Monsanto asks California not to list herbicide as cancer cause
Reuters — A plan by California environmental officials to list a commonly used herbicide as cancer-causing should be withdrawn, Monsanto told state regulators on Tuesday, saying California’s actions could be considered illegal because they are not considering valid scientific evidence. The formal comments were filed by Monsanto with the state’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment […] Read more

Suits stack up over alleged Roundup cancer link
Reuters — Personal injury law firms around the U.S. are lining up plaintiffs for what they say could be “mass tort” actions against agrichemical giant Monsanto that claim the company’s Roundup herbicide has caused cancer in farm workers and others exposed to the chemical. The latest lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Delaware Superior Court by three […] Read more

U.S. workers sue Monsanto claiming herbicide caused cancer
Reuters — A U.S. farm worker and a horticultural assistant have filed lawsuits claiming Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide caused their cancers and Monsanto intentionally misled the public and regulators about the dangers of the herbicide. The lawsuits come six months after the World Health Organization’s cancer research unit said it was classifying glyphosate, the active weed-killing […] Read more

Watch what you spray — or the entire grain industry could pay
Grain buyers are testing pesticide residues like never before
Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to pesticide residues, the world is watching like never before. “Everybody is looking more at food safety and health safety — there’s more scrutiny all the time with all the chemicals that we’re using,” said Jim Smolik, assistant chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. He cited China as an example. The […] Read more

Scientists seek review of glyphosate, allege ‘flawed’ regulations
Reuters — U.S. regulators have relied on flawed and outdated research to allow expanded use of an herbicide linked to cancer, and new assessments should be urgently conducted, according to a column published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. There are two key factors that necessitate regulatory action to protect human health, […] Read more