General Mills Sued over Glyphosate Contamination in ‘Natural’ Nature Valley Snack

Posted on Aug 25 2016 - 7:46pm by Sustainable Pulse

Three U.S. based non profit organizations filed a lawsuit against General Mills on Thursday 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.

THE GLYPHOSATE BOX

1o Things You Need to Know about Glyphosate

5 Things You Need to Know about Glyphosate Testing

Glyphosate in Numbers

“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.

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 (ppb) leads to adverse effects on liver and kidney health.

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.

Read the full complaint here.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars
(1 votes, average: 2.00 out of 5)
Loading...
About the Author

Sustainable Pulse is a global news outlet covering sustainable agriculture, GMOs and pesticides.

4 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Nancy August 31, 2016 at 22:22 - Reply

    We do not consent! We will not be silent! Way to go. Keep the faith! Don’t mess with the mama Bear! Nancy RN

  2. Sandy September 13, 2016 at 14:30 - Reply

    I have been eating this exact granola bar since I was a kid, approximately 30 years. I now but it for my kids. And just today, happened to read the ingredients. What a shock to learn of the use of glyphosate. I am disappointed in General Mills, and they have lost a long standing consumer.

  3. Bob July 31, 2017 at 20:22 - Reply

    You know why there are no labels for pesticides on food. If there was nobody would buy it. Same result as a ban. I feel I was poisoned by glyphosate 3 times in july 2017 . Cherries, Then strawberries and green peppers. One of the side effects of glyphosate is anorexia.(a lack or loss of appetite for food). After I lost my appetite because of green pepper and cherries. I thought the cherries were good and I could stomach a few at a time. So I ate a little at a time for four days. I got sicker. Then they were gone and I felt better in a few days. Then I ate strawberries and got sick again. I used eat General mills Basic 4 cereal, I have to choke it down because I have no appetite. If I don’t eat, I feel sick all day. Why does Trump Hate the American people so much? It looks to me that he and Pruitt are trying to kill US!

  4. William Jamieson June 23, 2018 at 02:51 - Reply

    I live in a farming district and have commented in a very negative manner over ” No-Till Farming ” and the use of herbicides. No-Till means the farmer does not plow the field but does kill all vegetation and through gene-splicing, only allow a certain crop to grow.
    Most herbicides act within 24 hours and you can watch 300 acres of green weeds die overnight, and because I live right across the street from two farms I have watched a dramatic decrease in wildlife especially field mice which is what Fox eat as 90% of their diet and have not seen a fox in years. I love Nature Valley granola bars, but if this herbicide is getting into Oats then it surely must be in every crop in the USA.
    I am 66 and will continue to eat them but my grandson told me they were unhealthy then I Googled it, and I am stunned by this article.
    I believe farmers should plow their land and stop no-till farming.
    I believe this issue needs to be addressed quickly as I believe in the long run, it will do nothing but harm the population of the world.

Leave A Response