The Californian officials included glyphosate on the list of carcinogen chemicals
On Monday, Californian officials decided to take an important step against the chemical glyphosate, which might be causing cancer. This substance is one of the main ingredients of Roundup, a popular weed killer, so the manufacturer might be soon obliged to attach a label informing customers the substance is carcinogenic.
- Californian experts classified glyphosate as cancerous.
- The chemical is found in the popular weed killer Roundup.
- Monsanto, the Roundup manufacturer, claims the product is not carcinogen.
The Supreme Court of the state ruled out that the substance might be causing cancer. Monsanto, the manufacturer of the Roundup weed killer, insists that its products do not pose such threats to the health. However, the Superior Court Judge says none of these claims are viable.
As a result, glyphosate will enter the list of carcinogenic substances starting July 7th. This means that, next year, Roundup might come with warning labels which announce people that the product might cause cancer.
Monsanto is still concern that these requirements might affect its business. Therefore, after losing the first trial, it filed an appeal against labeling. Regulators now have to analyze the weed killer and decide if it contains enough glyphosate to become threatening to our health. They received more than 1,300 comments, but are currently reviewing them.
Glyphosate was labeled as cancerous by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in March 2015. The chemical is used since 1974, when Monsanto presented it as extremely effective against weeds. It is the main substance in Roundup, which is quite widely used in the US.
Glyphosate is commercialized in more than 160 countries and, in California, is used to treat around 250 types of crops, including cotton, soy, or corn. The chemical is definitely not harmless, since more than 300 people have relatives who died or became sick after being exposed to glyphosate.
Image Source: Flickr
I know a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer after an airplane trip. Better have Cali warn about that, too.