Moms Across America has tested 46 samples of gluten-free foods, including bread, pasta, crackers, snacks, flour, dessert mixes, and chips for glyphosate/AMPA, 236 pesticides, minerals, and gluten. The results are disturbing and affect at least 20 million people who eat gluten-free food in America.
In the United States, 12% of men and 9% of women report eating gluten-free. Around the world, 660 million people avoid gluten. Most have gluten intolerances, but some have Celiac disease, a serious life-threatening condition, and must avoid gluten entirely. People with Celiac have 2-4 X higher rates of coronary artery disease and small bowel cancer.
Photo shows the top five cleanest gluten-free products tested for glyphosate.
Moms Across America has initiated food testing over the past 12 years to find the levels of toxins in our food supply, hold manufacturers and policymakers accountable, and create healthy communities. America is in a health crisis, and our EPA, FDA, and CDC appear to be making policies to support the profits of the corporations selling these products instead of establishing policies to protect the health of the American people, as they are paid our tax dollars to do. We intend to find and expose the truth about our food supply and provide actions and solutions to create healthy communities.
Moms Across America has a vast and dedicated network of mothers who are dealing with physical and mental health issues in their families. Many of our mothers are also challenged with their own health issues.
Some of our supporters have reported eating gluten-free and mostly organic food for many years and yet still have gut issues, anxiety, and other health issues. We suspected that the ingredients of gluten-free food were not as clean as they could be. The ingredients of gluten-free food are often not organic.
Director Zen Honeycutt stated about the results:
We had hoped to find that gluten-free foods that were also organic would be free of glyphosate and pesticides. They were not. The prevalence of glyphosate and agrochemicals in our food supply, even in organic and even in foods made for people with American Disability Act (ADA) recognized disability, such as Celiac disease, is disturbing for many reasons. This contamination is avoidable. As the EU has done, all our policymakers need to do is disallow the spraying of glyphosate and other agrochemicals as a drying agent on crops. The result would be that 80% of our exposure to glyphosate would be eliminated from food consumption. We urge food manufacturers to join us in calling for better regulation of the food supply,
Results of glyphosate and pesticides:
- 44 out of 46 of the samples came back positive for glyphosate.
- Out of the 237 pesticides we tested for, glyphosate was the most prevalent.
- Not all of the gluten-free products that were also organic were the lowest in glyphosate.
- 21% of the samples were positive for glyphosate at levels higher than 10 ppb, the EU default threshold for acceptable pesticide* residues.
- According to Don Huber, Purdue University Emeritus and plant pathologist of 60 years, exposure to .1 ppb of glyphosate is harmful and should be avoided. 95.6% of the samples contained higher than .1 ppb pf glyphosate.
The highest levels of glyphosate in gluten-free food:
Moms Across America has long been working to ban glyphosate from being sprayed on our food and animal feed crops, especially as a drying agent on grain crops. Studies have shown a very close correlation between the increase of Celiac disease and the increase of glyphosate on crops. Unfortunately, we have discovered that the foods people are eating to avoid gluten often have glyphosate in them—the very same chemical that likely caused their condition in the first place.
The highest level of glyphosate in gluten-free food tested was in Banza Chickpea pasta. The level of 2,876.41* ppb was the highest amount in food the lab has recorded.
Before this testing was released, Banza stated in an email to a concerned consumer regarding glyphosate levels, “We work very closely with our suppliers to monitor for it.”
Many consumers and scientists would agree that they must do a better job. Regardless of meeting EPA allowable levels on grains and legumes (which are based on industry requests and not health and safety standards), these levels are extremely concerning and detrimental to human health. Just nanograms ( tiny amounts) per kilogram of body weight were found to contribute to liver disease in rats by Antoinou et al. 1 out of 4 Americans now have some form of nonalcoholic liver disease. In addition, there is an extremely concerning correlation between levels of glyphosate in crops such as wheat ( peas, beans, and legumes are also sprayed) and the rise of Celiac disease.
*Typo corrected from 2,963
Source - https://janeshealthykitchen.com/top-10-triggers-gluten-inflammation
I am not surprised that the level of glyphosate contamination in the chickpea pasta product was sky high, since I was already aware that some of the highest levels of glyphosate were showing up in chickpea products in the tests conducted by the Canadian government. But this should set off alarm bells, because those who try to improve gut health by switching to a gluten-free diet may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.- Stephanie Seneff, author of Toxic Legacy.
The lowest levels of glyphosate:
The only two products without any detectable levels of glyphosate were Lesser Evil Popcorn and Edward and Sons Rice Crackers.
Note: Moms Across America is not sponsored by any brands tested in the study.
Glyphosate test results are in gluten-free food here.
What Pesticides were present in the gluten-free foods tested?
People with Celiac’s disease or gluten sensitivity are often sensitive to chemicals as well.
- 2,4-D was the second most prevalent pesticide.
- King Arthur Measure for Measure, Certified Gluten-Free Flour and Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers had the highest levels of pesticide chemicals, at 147 ppb and 75 ppb respectively.
Many farmers are transitioning from glyphosate and are reverting back to 2,4 D use. This is the chemical found in Agent Orange that was used in the Vietnam War and was the subject of a lawsuit that awarded over 251,800 people, including veterans, over $180 million dollars. Agent Orange contributed to countless more people from multiple generations having serious birth defects, harm, and death. Trace or quantifiable levels of 2,4-D were found in 25 (or 54%) of gluten-free food samples.
The products with the highest levels of pesticide chemicals were King Arthur Measure for Measure, Certified Gluten-Free Flour and Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers at 147 ppb and 75 ppb, respectively. The highest levels of pesticide residues detected in both were from Piperonyl Butoxide. Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is a man-made pesticide synergist. By itself, PBO is not designed to harm insects. Instead, it works with bug killers to increase their effectiveness. The U.S. EPA has classified PBO as a possible human carcinogen.
In one study, pregnant rats were fed a single high to very high dose of PBO for two days. At the highest dose, pregnant rats gained less weight and lost more pregnancies than normal. At the highest two doses, some offspring weighed less than normal or had an unusual number of fingers and toes that were sometimes fused. In another study, rats were fed low to high doses of PBO for two generations to see if there were reproductive effects. Both adults and offspring had reduced weights at only the highest dose.
A lab report for pesticide testing in gluten-free food is here.
Summary of results
Top Ten Lowest Levels of Glyphosate- Gluten-Free Food Tested
(1 being cleanest, 10 more contaminated)
- Edward & Sons rice crackers (ND)
- Lesser Evil Organic Popcorn (ND)
- LiveGFree cornbread mix (Trace)
- MadeGood strawberry crispy squares
- Tinkyada brown rice pasta
- Udi’s soft white sandwich bread
- Barilla penne pasta
- Shar’s plain NY-style bagels
- Whole Foods brand 365 sandwich bread
- Shar Artisan Baker white bread
Top Ten Lowest Levels of Pesticides - Gluten-Free Foods Tested
- Schar Artisan White bread
- Pacha Organic Buckwheat bread
- Simple Kneads Quinoa bread
- 365 Whole Foods Market sandwich bread
- Mountain High Organic Macaroni
- Banza Cavatappi pasta (note: had the highest level of glyphosate)
- Simple Mills almond crackers
- Katz fudge brownie muffin snacks
- Siete cassava flour tortillas
- LiveGFree cornbread mix
Top 5 Most Contaminated with Glyphosate- Gluten-Free Foods Tested
(1 being most contaminated)
- Banza Cavatappi pasta
- Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose flour
- Flax4Life chocolate brownies
- Pamela's Figgies and Jammies mission fig cookies
- Kind Kids Chewy Chocolate Chip bars
Top 5 Most Contaminated with Pesticides - Gluten Free Food Tested
(1 being most contaminated)
- King Arthur Measure for Measure, Certified Gluten-Free Flour
- Milton’s sea salt crackers
- Simple Mills Brownie mix
- Pamela's gluten-free flour mix
- Go Macro berry granola bar
Results of gluten content in gluten-free foods tested:
We also suspected that some gluten-free foods may not be entirely gluten-free. According to the Celiac Foundation, 50% of people on a gluten-free diet still experience symptoms. Therefore, suspecting undisclosed contamination, we tested the samples for gluten.
4 out of 46 samples, namely Simple Mills Brownie mix (31.7), Made Good Soft Baked Double Chocolate cookies (56.1), Trader Joe's Almost Everything Bagels (269.8), and Simple Mills almond flour crackers (59.4), had levels above the FDA allowable 20 ppm of gluten and should legally be recalled. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) states that gluten-free food should have less than 10 ppm. Moms Across America has reported these violations to the FDA and we will report back on the steps that will be taken.
3 additional samples had levels of gluten above 10 ppm. Jovial spaghetti (10.6), GoMacro berry granola bar (15.9), and Shar pretzels( 14.3) and may be advisable to be avoided by people with Celiac.
Results of gluten-free testing here*.
*This data was updated 6/27/23.
Regarding gluten content regulatory levels:
According to the National Celiac Association: Consuming a diet at 20 parts per million (ppm) is considered safe for those with celiac disease because it should put most people below the 10 mg threshold when you add up all the foods eaten in a day. You would have to eat 17 slices of gluten-free bread that contains 20 ppm gluten in order to hit the 10 mg threshold. But for regular wheat flour that contains thousands of ppm gluten, you only need the size of a pen tip to hit the limit.
The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) certification however, requires that all starting ingredients and finished products test below the applicable gluten-free threshold of the country of sale, or 10 ppm (parts per million), whichever is lower. This threshold was twice as strict as the WHO, Codex, and the now-existing Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Moms Across America calls upon all gluten free food manufacturers to be responsible for quality control and consistently test to assure that levels of gluten are below 10 ppm, as gluten free certifications call for.
Results of Minerals:
As was the case with our fast food and school lunch testing, Moms Across America is disappointed with the mineral content of the foods we have tested. The gluten free foods were very low in mineral content. Why is this a problem? Most people may not understand that when we pay for food we are not really paying for the taste, mouth feel, and accessibility, we are supposed to be paying for nutrition which includes critical mineral content. And yet the tasty, fast, cheap and easy to access food that we have been testing, such as school lunches and fast foods, have all shown to have very low nutrition ie: mineral content.
Minerals and vitamins are essential for brain and organ function. Therefore, there is a high cost to cheap food. Our bodies crave more and more of it because they are not getting the nutrition needed to sustain our
Lab report with mineral results here.
After reviewing the recent test results for various gluten free products and their mineral content, I am sorry to report that across the board, the samples are extremely low in each mineral based on the FDA Recommended Daily Values and accurate serving sizes per category. I would not consider any of these foods to be beneficial if you are looking towards sufficient mineral uptake. I am looking at these results through the lens of functional nutrition as that is my background.
FDA Recommended daily values for each mineral vary greatly and depend on factors such as age and gender. But it seems that any way we slice it (whether we are using RDI values for men or women or children at any age) the values are all very low and don’t come near the 10% of daily value that would be what I would consider sufficient and beneficial. - Mary Chantler, FNC (Functional Nutrition Counselor) Full comment here.
Moms Across America reminds our audience that processed foods will nearly always contain less nutrients than whole, fresh (local) organic, regenerative organic, or biodynamic foods. We recommend making all processed foods, whether they be gluten free or not, a minimal part of your diet.
Moms Across America wishes to be clear that we understand the gluten food manufacturers are attempting to make foods that are healthier and safer for people with gluten intolerance and Celiacs disease. We are not insinuating that these manufacturers are in any way deliberately adding agrochemicals to their products. We believe that the gluten free manufacturers are challenged to find clean ingredients for their products because the US government allows so many harmful agrochemicals to be used and the farmers feel compelled to use them because they are heavily marketed to them. Their products are, however, contaminated and the health impact on their customers is unacceptable.
We assert that both the consumers and the food brands are impacted by the lack of accountability and lack of regulation by the EPA and FDA of these agrochemicals in the food supply.
The American public must know the truth about ingredients and contaminants to protect their families’ health. Moms Across America encourages the improved quality of these foods and may celebrate the brands with the cleanest foods.
The food manufacturers must seek and know the truth to make safe products.
The farmers must know the truth about the impact of these chemicals to make better, safer decisions while farming.
And the chemical companies and EPA/FDA must tell the truth about the risks of these agrochemicals.
In the meantime, until they do, Moms Across America will do our best to bring the truth to the American public.
Thank you to our Moms Across America supporters and the Centner Academy.
Moms Across America is a 501c3 non profit organization.
The testing has been conducted by an accredited laboratory, Health Research Institute Laboratories. For their methodologies please visit their website.
For more information on how you can support further testing and our programs at Moms Across America please contact [email protected]
* Added update re: 10 ppb level - julio 11, 2024
It sets the maximum quantities of pesticide residues permitted in products of animal or vegetable origin intended for human or animal consumption. These maximum residue levels (MRLs), which are fixed by the European Commission, include:
1.MRLs, which are specific to particular foodstuffs intended for human or animal consumption; and
2. a general limit that applies where no specific MRL has been set (a ‘default limit’ of 0.01 mg/kg). ( 10ppb)
The MRLs for all crops and pesticides may be found in the Commission’s MRL database.
Foodstuffs covered: The law covers all products intended for human or animal consumption listed in Annex I.
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The correlation chart indicates that celiac disease is gluten intolerance. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that is mediated by gluten. It has a genetic component. Gluten intolerance is a food sensitivity.
The correlation between the rise in celiac disease diagnosis and the use of glyphosate is fraught with issues. This assumes that celiac is an environmental issue. It is possible that glyphosate causes villi damage. That is NOT celiac. That is villi damage due to an environmental toxin. Remove the toxin and the person can eat gluten.
There are other things that cause villi damage. Benicar and CellCept cause celiac like villi damage. Remove these things and the patient can eat gluten without issues.
There is a reason for the increase in diagnosis of celiac disease. Celiac disease is a difficult disease to diagnose. The doctors play no role in management. There are no drugs and no money to be made. It took me over forty (40) years to be diagnosed. People still get very VERY sick and wait 5 to 10 years before being taken seriously by the medical profession.
People like me have been working hard to push awareness of this dangerous autoimmune disease. That is a more likely reason for the rise in diagnosis.
There is another reason why people move over to “gluten free” foods and continue to feel sick. 20 Parts per million is still far too much gluten for people who have celiac disease. The 20 parts per million (ppm) rule was adopted by the FDA after 6 years of the celiac community asking that it be zero. When the manufacturers got involved, 20 ppm magically became safe.
The FDA leaves it up to the manufacturer to self-police. That is the fox guarding the hen house. We all know that never works.
Notice: There is no statement about how much of this really low gluten food can be eaten by someone with gluten issues. What happens after three meals of 2 servings of this really low amount? Why is it what is in the food that is the only thing considered? We all know the FDA caters to industry in other areas. This is no different.
I really appreciate the fact that you tested these gluten free foods. There is another issue – certification.
Gluten free Oreo’s are certified using GFCO certification standards. They use a step-down process. This allows products to be tested as little as once per quarter. If they were testing for arsenic, would once a month seem proper to you.
Cheerios uses a testing process that is so flawed that it allowed product made with the wheat flour to test as safe. They recalled those boxes AND LEFT THE SAME TESTING PROCESS IN PLACE. Now, really, if it can’t find product made with the wrong flour, how can it find product with far less contamination?
The FDA refuses to do anything about mislabeled gluten free products. The celiac community has been asking that the FDA do something about the approximately 20 facially mislabeled products., Nothing happens
I love your organization. I love the work that you are doing. I am suggesting that you remove the correlation chart. (1) because it incorrectly equates celiac with food intolerance, (2) because it treats celiac as a food disorder rather than an autoimmune disease, (3) such correlations can easily be made for autism and the rise in chronic illness. It is not very helpful to just correlate things.