Glyphosate, the main active ingredient in Roundup weed killer, has been found in beer and wine, California Public Interests Research Group reports.
The World Health Organization labeled glyphosate a probable carcinogen in 2015, and the State of California followed suit in 2017, citing the WHO report.
U.S. PIRG tested beer and wine for glyphosate/Roundup and found it is present. “This aligns with past studies on the topic, which found glyphosate is found in almost all adult beverages.
Five wines, including Beringer, Barefoot and Sutter Home were tested, as we 15 beers, including Budweiser, Coors, Miller Lite, Sam Adams, Samuel Smith Organic and New Belgium.
Of the 20 samples, 19 contained glyphosate. The highest level was found in Sutter Home wine at 51 parts per billion (ppb). Three of four organic beer and wine contain glyphosate. “Although glyphosate is not allowed or used in organic farming, several types of organic products were contaminated, such as Samuel Smith Organic (at 3.5 ppb), Inkarri Estate organic wine contained 5.2 ppb.
Large beer brands, including Coors Light, Tsingtao and Miller Lite showed glyphosate levels above 25 ppb. But one brand – Peak Beer – didn’t contain any detectable levels.
The study notes that these glyphosate levels are below EPA risk tolerances for beverages. But it also notes that one study found that 1 part per trillion of glyphosate has the potential to stimulate the growth of breast cancer cells and to disrupt the endocrine system.
The report also notes that Monsanto, which makes Roundup, engineered many food crops specifically to withstand Roundup. “The idea is that you spray the herbicide on the entire field, the weeds die, but the crops survive.”
Unfortunately, weeds are becoming Roundup resistant, resulting in increased dosages or applications of the weed killer.
“While we consider the amounts of glyphosate in beer and wine to be relatively low compared to amounts found in items like cereal, consumers should still be aware of the small risk entailed in consuming glyphosate,” U.S PIRG’s report states. It recommends Roundup be banned unless and until it’s proven safe.