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At Moms Across America we often get questions like " What can I eat?" or "Everything is contaminated, what do I do?"

Here is a recent question that we think everyone could benefit from considering and our answer.

“Hi, I'm a new mom who has eaten Quaker Oats throughout my pregnancy. After learning about arsenic levels in the oats I made the switch to Bob's Red Mill organic steel-cut oats. Now I discover that I have been unknowingly eating small doses of glyphosate every morning for breakfast, as well as feeding it to my daughter through breast milk. I'm infuriated and wondering what actions I'm able to take? ”- Michelle V.

Our Answer:

Dear Michelle,

By Zen Honeycutt
Founding Executive Director Moms Across America
Author of Unstoppable

On August 27, 2018, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publish an article called “Should I Throw Out My Cheerios?” The article addresses the EWG’s recent testing of 45 samples of cereals and oat products for glyphosate, the declared active chemical ingredient in Roundup weed killer, made by Monsanto. 95% of the conventional products tested positive for the known carcinogen. Only 3% of the organic products were positive. Levels found were 30 -1300+ ppb of glyphosate in the samples tested. Although we are thrilled that the EWG tested foods for glyphosate, we are horrified that they would actually say, “So should I throw out my Cheerios? In a word, no.” Even though some of the products contained 8x higher levels than their own safety assessments and thousands of times higher* than has been shown in scientific studies to cause harm... they still did not advise consumers to stop eating foods that have been found to be highly contaminated with glyphosate.

Glyphosate in Hummus Test Results Report
Moms Across America
August 31, 2018

August 31, 2018 - Hummus is the go-to snack for most people who consider themselves healthy. Apparently, the brand of hummus has now become much more important. Today, Moms Across America released the test results of 10 hummus samples from 8 brands showing concerning levels of glyphosate residues. All but 1 of the samples tested positive for quantifiable levels. Glyphosate is found in Monsanto’s popular weed killer Roundup and is commonly sprayed on garbanzo beans as a drying agent prior to harvest. The chemical glyphosate has been making numerous headlines in the past two weeks due to the verdict in the Johnson v Monsanto trial. Johnson was a school pesticide applicator and was awarded 289.2 million dollars by the jury from the chemical giant Monsanto for “malice and oppression” or hiding the fact that they knew that their glyphosate herbicide could cause cancer. The hummus brands testing positive for glyphosate residue were Kirkland Signature, Sabra, Cedar’s, Simply Balanced, Trader Joe’s, Sadaf, and Hope. Lilly’s organic hummus was the only brand that had a non-quantifiable result for glyphosate.

Zen Honeycutt, Founding Executive Director of Moms Across America stated, “Glyphosate residues in hummus are not surprising, due to the farming practice of spraying garbanzo beans preharvest with glyphosate as a drying agent, but these results are terribly disturbing. The agriculture industry has known since 2015 that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. They had ample time to discontinue the practice of spraying this herbicide on their crops. We hope now, with these results and the verdict of the Johnson v Monsanto lawsuit, that the EPA will revoke the license of glyphosate and farmers will stop using harmful chemicals.”

Lilly’s Hummus representative stated that they source their garbanzo beans from organic farmers in California. When asked about the absence of glyphosate in their products they stated, regarding their suppliers, “They perform random field pre-checks on crops, and recognize glyphosate as one of the worst herbicides. We’re very gratified to produce a nourishing product safe for individuals and families free of this substance.”

August 30 , 2018- Mission Viejo. Moms Across America applauds the decision by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CA EPA). Today is the day that the long-awaited changes go into effect for companies, manufacturers, and any responsible parties in the supply chain of exposing the public to harmful chemicals. From this day forward anyone exposing the public to chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm in California must have warnings in place as follows or face a $2,500 fine per day, per violation.

Zen Honeycutt of Mom Across America stated, “We are thrilled that companies will now have to state specifically, by name, which chemical they are being exposed to. The public has a right to know.However, we are outraged that glyphosate, which is on the Prop 65 list and is sprayed on our food and around our schools and parks, will not be included because Monsanto sued the CA EPA to stop the labeling. This is an injustice to the American public which must be corrected immediately.”  Glyphosate herbicides were the subject of a recent lawsuit in which the plaintiff Dwayne Lee Johnson was awarded 289.2 million dollars from Monsanto for the causation of his non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,which he was exposed to while wearing protective gear as a school pesticide applicator

According to 30 years of EPA policy, normally glyphosate, which was placed on the Prop 65 list in 2017, would be included in this regulation. All products, such as Roundup sold in Home Depot,  would need to carry this warning today. All pesticide applicators would need to be informed that they were using products which cause cancer, and all farmers would see warning labels on their bulk purchases of glyphosate herbicides which they spray on our food crops.  However, Monsanto sued the CA EPA and the judge granted them a temporary injunction which stopped the labeling of glyphosate herbicides. Their reasoning was that Monsanto had the right to “free speech” meaning they and the other clients in the lawsuit, such as the Wheat Growers Association, had the right to not speak about whether their products or food ingredients contained a probable carcinogen. Nevermind that they also have the free will to make or use a chemical which exposes the public unknowingly to a carcinogen.

Mom and daughter team reveals Monsanto's lies! 

August 16, 2018 - Today Mckenzie Feldman sent me this video, which she filmed at the Hawaii State Farm Fair http://www.hawaiistatefarmfair.org in 2015. Her mother, the woman speaking in the film, fearlessly asks the Monsanto employee about his perspective on the use of Roundup. We applaud the courage it took to make this film and we acknowledge this dynamic mother-daughter team! Way to go!

We would like to add that this employee, not to excuse his choices but to put it into perspective, simply believed what his employer told him. We know there are thousands of people who work at Monsanto, many of them good people who want to provide for their families, that have been just as hoodwinked as the rest of us. This does not excuse the behavior of misleading the public, however. We ask that anyone who works at any company be responsible for having a job which contributes to the safety of our planet instead of polluting it. If your company is poisoning people, find another job! Be creative and do what inspires you!

PRESS RELEASE

Oxford Connecticut Retires Roundup and Goes Organic
Northeast Horticultural Services Chosen to Manage Organic Vegetation Control

STRATFORD, CT, August 11, 2018 – Oxford, CT residents can breathe a sigh of relief. Glyphosate-based herbicides such as Roundup, Rodeo and Ranger Pro will no longer be sprayed in their park and on their sidewalks. These carcinogenic herbicides are currently the hot topic in legal circles- the Johnson v Monsanto trial verdict was just announced yesterday and glyphosate herbicide manufacturer Monsanto was found guilty and fined 289.2 million dollars for failing to label their product as a carcinogen and for malice- intentionally covering up that they knew their product was carcinogenic. The plaintiff, Dwayne “Lee” Johnson a school pesticide applicator, used Roundup and Rodeo, had a few accidents, and despite wearing protective gear, he was exposed to the chemicals. He now has Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and tumors on 80% of his body. Lee has a wife and two children and is not expected, by his doctors, to live longer than two years.

GREAT, AMAZING, FANTASTIC, WONDROUS NEWS!

Dewayne "Lee" Johnson, a school pesticide applicator with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, WINS his lawsuit against Monsanto! The jury (God Bless them) awarded Johnson 289.2 million dollars! 4000 other plaintiffs are waiting to sue Monsanto and 10,0000 are expected by the end of the year. Surely this decision has Bayer, who now owns Monsanto, reconsidering whether or not to continue to sell glyphosate-based products.

This is a huge win for humanity! Corporations around the world now get that they must take responsibility for the impact of their products! 

Watch the verdict here: 

US Court demands that the EPA must ban chlorpyrifos in 60 days! Chlorpyrifos, a chemical sprayed on food crops, is a known neurotoxin, especially to children, and was supposed to be banned last year. But the ban was revoked by the current administration. Coincidentally, the ban dismissal was enacted after Trump held a meeting with the CEO of Dow, the manufacturers of the chemical, who gave a 1.2 million dollar donation to his campaign. At Moms Across America, we believe that no matter who we vote for, what our political inclinations are, that every public figure has a responsibility to protect our children. This behavior is reprehensible, and we are glad that the courts have the power to reverse that decision and reinstate the ban. We simply cannot allow big business to harm our little kids.

Transcripts of the closing arguments here.

Johnson's lawyer's slides here.

Also, in the news is Monsanto on trial and Robert F. Kennedy Jr - one of the lawyers suing Monsanto for the link to Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Watch his stellar interview here.

We are so glad he addressed all the health issues we moms have been talking about for years now - and that the media is covering this issue!!!!

Yesterday was a fascinating, infuriating, inspiring, and extremely complicated day. The closing statements of the Johnson v Monsanto trial were the lawyers final chance to persuade the jury to either hold Monsanto accountable for not labeling their product as a carcinogen ( leading to John's non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma) or believe the chemical company when they say their products are safe. Watch the NBC news coverage which includes  Zen Honeycutt of Moms Across America!

In the packed San Franciso courtroom, Johnson's lawyer, Brent Wisner did an excellent job of showing that:

1. Monsanto's Roundup and RangerPro can promote cancer and cause tumor growth.
   
   
2. Monsanto knew this well before Johnson called them to ask if exposure could be connected to his lesions...and yet the doctor responsible failed to return his call.
   
   
3. Monsanto failed to warn consumers with label or safety precautions.

To see the video recap of my interview on Facebook LIVE with Kelly Ryerson of GlyphosateGirl.com who has attended every day of the trial, click here.

To see some of the choice soundbites from the trial, follow Zen on Twitter: