Glyphosate is the most common weed killer in the United States. Known as the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, it’s used so heavily on crops that residues show up in many foods and beverages, including beer. In February, Green America tested five of the most popular beers in the U.S. for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), a breakdown product of glyphosate. Contamination was detected in every sample, and the highest level measured was 3.33 ng/g (Heineken).
While this concentration is below the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) acceptable levels, even low-level residues matter because pesticide exposure can build up in our bodies over time. Studies have shown that lower-dose, repeated exposures are likely more harmful than acute exposures. Other research has tied glyphosate exposure directly to cancer.
Glyphosate residues in beer alone are concerning because it’s such a popular beverage. However, beer isn’t the only food product that can expose people to glyphosate—it may also be in many other foods and drinks we consume.
Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, removed glyphosate from its home and garden products after facing tens of thousands of lawsuits filed by farmers and others exposed to glyphosate, claiming that the company didn’t warn them of the potential risk of cancer. One case brought by a farmer who used Roundup for decades and developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is currently being heard by the Supreme Court.
Despite these clear risks, glyphosate is still used in Monsanto’s agricultural or professional products.
And just last year, the major 2000 study that supposedly demonstrated the safety of glyphosate was retracted for being ghost-written by Monsanto scientists. In the “scathing retraction notice,” Martin van den Berg, toxicologist and co–editor-in-chief of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, wrote:
The article’s conclusions regarding the carcinogenicity of glyphosate are solely based on unpublished studies from Monsanto, which have failed to demonstrate tumorigenic potential. The handling (co) Editor-in-Chief also became aware that by the time of writing of this article in the journal, the authors did not include multiple other long-term chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity studies, that were already done at the time of writing their review in 1999.
Naomi Oreskes, a historian of science at Harvard University and best-selling author of Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change, said: “My worry is that people will keep citing it.” She and fellow researcher Alexander Kaurov published a report last year finding that over 800 scientific papers cited the retracted Monsanto study since it was published.
In 2019, the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) tested 20 beers and wines, 19 of which contained glyphosate. At the time, critics relied on the U.S. EPA’s approved pesticide levels to argue that the contamination was unlikely to affect human health, and that the costs were outweighed by the benefits of “higher yields, economic gains for farmers and a decrease in other more toxic herbicides.” Quoting an industry spokesperson, one article claimed that “an adult would have to drink more than 140 glasses of wine a day” to ingest a dangerous level of glyphosate.
But the EPA does not fully account for cumulative, long-term exposure, nor the potential effects of chemical mixtures over time. The EPA’s position that glyphosate does not pose harmful risks to human health when used according to label instructions has been the subject of sustained criticism, including documented concerns about regulatory capture and industry influence (e.g. Merchants of Poison).
On average, Americans drink 26.5 gallons of beer per year. That high consumption rate and broad reach mean many people are exposed to a substantial cumulative concentration of pesticides in beer. Furthermore, the U.S. is the number 1 exporter of hops (unless you count the EU as a whole) and the U.S. is the number 7 exporter of barley. Given beer’s popularity, this could potentially harm millions of Americans and beer-drinkers worldwide, and pesticides used on beer crops could expose growers, farmworkers, beer producers, local communities, and the environment to toxic pesticides as well.
Many cities, states, and countries have banned glyphosate or are in the process of banning or restricting it, and most health advocates argue that all exposure to pesticides should be minimized. Previous studies have also found that there are many other pesticides besides glyphosate found in beer. Beyond Pesticides found 58 pesticides on barley alone, 22 of which are acutely toxic; 53 are linked to chronic health problems, including cancer; 18 contaminate streams or groundwater; and 49 are poisonous to wildlife.
Companies should set supplier standards, test routinely, and move sourcing away from glyphosate-dependent practices as part of an overall plan to reduce and eliminate toxic pesticides in their supply chains. That means setting up clear deadlines to phase out harmful pesticides from supply chains, starting with high-impact ingredients like barley and hops.
Brewers can also partner with growers to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) and expand organic farming practices, set ingredient standards, ensure complete supply chain transparency and support farmers and farmworkers to move away from glyphosate.
Consumers also hold power, and it starts with building awareness. We can all save beer by contacting brands and local breweries to ask where they source barley and wheat from. Do they restrict pre-harvest glyphosate? Do they test for glyphosate and AMPA?
Consumers can also choose for organic beers, which tend to have the lowest levels of glyphosate and are already working to end pesticide use and improve agricultural practices in the supply chain. Unless they are organic, craft beers can have higher levels of glyphosate and other pesticides because they are unfiltered and unpasteurized, so pesticide components aren’t broken down as much.
Believe it or not, we can all force progress by choosing beer that’s produced with more care for our environment and our health. Start by supporting better agriculture and buying from producers using verified organic and regenerative practices that restrict pesticide reliance. Get to know your local craft brewers and let them know how important their ingredient sourcing is to you. Even large-scale brewers tend to offer a line of organic beers, so buying those products can send a message that more organic beer can lead to greater company profits.
Beer lovers who want to make a difference can also get involved by signing on to Green America’s action to halt the use of toxic pesticides in beer production and supporting policy proposals that lower pesticide residue tolerances and require more robust, independent testing.
Articles like the one you just read are made possible through the generosity of Food Tank members. Can we please count on you to be part of our growing movement? Become a member today by clicking here.
Photo courtesy of Amie Johnson, Unsplash
