25
Aug
Non-Profits Sue General Mills for False and Misleading Use of ‘Natural’
Tests Reveal Nature Valley Products Contain Glyphosate, an Ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup
Washington, DC, August 25, 2016 – Today, three non profit organizations filed a lawsuit against General Mills 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.
“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.
“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 leads to adverse effects on liver and kidney health. A study released in early 2016 finds that glyphosate can cause changes to DNA function resulting in the onset of chronic disease, including diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer’s disease.
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.
Contacts:
Beyond Pesticides, Jay Feldman, 202-255-4296, Stephanie Davio, 202-543-5450
Organic Consumers Association, Katherine Paul, 207-653-3090
Moms Across America, Blair FitzGibbon, 202-503-6141
Download a copy of the complaint here.
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The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The Organic Consumers Fund is a 501(c)4 allied organization of the Organic Consumers Association, focused on grassroots lobbying and legislative action. Visit: https://www.organicconsumers.org/
Moms Across America is 501(c)3 non profit and a national coalition of unstoppable moms raising awareness about GMOs and toxins in our food and environment. Their motto is “Empowered Moms, Healthy Kids.” Visit www.momsacrossamerica.org
Beyond Pesticides is a national grassroots non-profit organization headquartered in the District of Columbia that works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides. For more information, see www.beyondpesticides.org.
I was wondering if we are not shooting ourselves in the foot with this lawsuit. No, I don’t approve of pesticides in food labeled ‘natural’, but neither do I approve of them if food labeled ‘organic’ . Most people buy organic and think it means “no pesticide residues”. We know that there are also pesticides in many organic foods, like, for example, every California wine tested. The pesticide residues are generally much lower than on conventional products but they have been measured.
September 4th, 2016 at 9:35 amI certainly would not like the organic rules to disappear because they cannot guarantee “no pesticide residues” either…
Dear Mr. Hjertaas,
Thank you for asking such a thought provoking question. From our point of view in this discussion, we have to separate ‘pollution contamination’ from ‘intentional contamination.’ In the context of organic, the introduction of pesticides, with the exception of the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, are prohibited as a function of the Organic Foods Production Act requiring an organic systems plan for crop production. In the case of natural, all pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act are allowed in the production process to contaminate food. Please don’t confuse permitted use of poisons in crop production systems, as allowed in products labeled natural, with the environmental pollution that affects us through contaminated air, water, and land. We have a lot of work to do to stop pollution through pesticide drift and runoff, causing chemical trespass and off-target impacts. But, we can’t blame organic farmers for being land stewards in a polluted world. We can blame companies that pollute our world, including those that market “natural†products grown with toxic chemicals.
– Beyond Pesticides
September 8th, 2016 at 3:32 pm