New Roundup, New Risks
October 24, 2024 | Source: Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth’s analysis finds that, on the fiftieth anniversary of its commercialization, Roundup sold to consumers is more toxic than ever before. Bayer pledged to remove glyphosate from Roundup products sold to U.S. consumers (which does not include agricultural or professional use Roundup) starting in 2023, in response to tens of thousands of lawsuits linking the weedkiller to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
We found that Bayer replaced glyphosate with combinations of four chemicals, two of which are banned in the European Union. The new Roundup formulations are 45 times more toxic to human health following long-term, chronic exposures, on average. They also pose significantly greater risks to the environment. What’s more, we found that Bayer has failed to remove glyphosate from all U.S. consumer Roundup products.
Bayer’s failure to warn consumers about the new risks posed by its reformulation of Roundup is negligent and should be unlawful. The fifty-year history of Roundup shows that chemical companies like Bayer cannot be trusted to protect consumer health. It is essential that lawmakers and regulatory agencies, including a strengthened Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), take responsibility for ensuring that people and ecosystems are safeguarded against toxic chemicals and the unethical activities of the companies that manufacture them.