Testing Results
National School Lunch Testing Results
Moms Across America conducted a nationwide investigation into the food served in America’s school lunch programs. The findings demand immediate action.
Key Findings
Independent laboratory analysis of school lunch samples from across the country revealed systemic contamination with pesticides and heavy metals.
Positive for Glyphosate
Nearly all school lunch samples tested positive for glyphosate — the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide — which is classified as a probable carcinogen by the IARC.
Positive for Harmful Pesticides
74% of samples contained one or more harmful pesticide residues beyond glyphosate, including organophosphates, neonicotinoids, and other neurotoxic compounds.
EPA Limit Exceeded for Heavy Metals
Heavy metals were detected in school lunch samples at levels up to 6,293 times the EPA maximum allowable limit — exposing children to dangerous neurotoxins.
Glyphosate in School Lunches
Glyphosate was detected in 95.3% of the school lunch samples tested. This herbicide — the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup — is the most widely used agricultural chemical in history. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.”
Children’s bodies are far more susceptible to toxic exposures than adults. Their organs are still developing, they consume more food relative to body weight, and their detoxification systems are immature. Repeated daily exposure through school meals is cause for serious concern.
Pesticide Residues Beyond Glyphosate
74% of school lunch samples contained harmful pesticide residues in addition to glyphosate. These include organophosphates — a class of pesticide linked to neurodevelopmental damage in children — as well as neonicotinoids and other endocrine-disrupting compounds.
Children eating school lunches five days a week are subjected to a “cocktail effect” of multiple pesticide residues simultaneously, compounding the health risks of any single chemical.
Organophosphates
Linked to ADHD, learning disabilities, and reduced IQ in children even at low levels of exposure.
Neonicotinoids
Systemic insecticides that cannot be washed off — they are present throughout the entire plant structure.
Heavy Metal Contamination
Perhaps the most alarming finding of the school lunch testing was the level of heavy metals detected. Samples contained heavy metals at concentrations up to 6,293 times the EPA maximum allowable limit.
Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury were among the heavy metals detected. These neurotoxic metals accumulate in the body over time and can cause permanent cognitive damage, developmental delays, and increased cancer risk. There is no established safe level of lead exposure for children.
The Impact on Children
- •Even low-level lead exposure in children causes measurable reductions in IQ and attention span
- •Arsenic is a Group 1 carcinogen with no safe exposure threshold
- •Cadmium accumulates in the kidneys and can cause chronic kidney damage over time
- •Children from low-income families who rely on free or reduced lunch are disproportionately exposed
What Must Change
Moms Across America calls on the USDA, FDA, and Congress to immediately investigate these findings and take corrective action. School food procurement standards must require testing for glyphosate, pesticide residues, and heavy metals — and must exclude products that fail to meet safe thresholds.
Children spend up to 13 years eating school lunches. This is not a minor concern — it is a public health emergency affecting tens of millions of American children every single day.
Protect Our Children
Share these results and demand that your school district and elected representatives take action now.