By Neil Young and Daryl Hannah

Updated: Oct. 14, 2018 11:12 a.m.

As originally posted in the San Francisco Chronicle

Glyphosate in Hummus Test Results Report
Moms Across America
August 31, 2018

August 31, 2018 - Hummus is the go-to snack for most people who consider themselves healthy. Apparently, the brand of hummus has now become much more important. Today, Moms Across America released the test results of 10 hummus samples from 8 brands showing concerning levels of glyphosate residues. All but 1 of the samples tested positive for quantifiable levels. Glyphosate is found in Monsanto’s popular weed killer Roundup and is commonly sprayed on garbanzo beans as a drying agent prior to harvest. The chemical glyphosate has been making numerous headlines in the past two weeks due to the verdict in the Johnson v Monsanto trial. Johnson was a school pesticide applicator and was awarded 289.2 million dollars by the jury from the chemical giant Monsanto for “malice and oppression” or hiding the fact that they knew that their glyphosate herbicide could cause cancer. The hummus brands testing positive for glyphosate residue were Kirkland Signature, Sabra, Cedar’s, Simply Balanced, Trader Joe’s, Sadaf, and Hope. Lilly’s organic hummus was the only brand that had a non-quantifiable result for glyphosate.

Zen Honeycutt, Founding Executive Director of Moms Across America stated, “Glyphosate residues in hummus are not surprising, due to the farming practice of spraying garbanzo beans preharvest with glyphosate as a drying agent, but these results are terribly disturbing. The agriculture industry has known since 2015 that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen. They had ample time to discontinue the practice of spraying this herbicide on their crops. We hope now, with these results and the verdict of the Johnson v Monsanto lawsuit, that the EPA will revoke the license of glyphosate and farmers will stop using harmful chemicals.”

Lilly’s Hummus representative stated that they source their garbanzo beans from organic farmers in California. When asked about the absence of glyphosate in their products they stated, regarding their suppliers, “They perform random field pre-checks on crops, and recognize glyphosate as one of the worst herbicides. We’re very gratified to produce a nourishing product safe for individuals and families free of this substance.”

August 30 , 2018- Mission Viejo. Moms Across America applauds the decision by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CA EPA). Today is the day that the long-awaited changes go into effect for companies, manufacturers, and any responsible parties in the supply chain of exposing the public to harmful chemicals. From this day forward anyone exposing the public to chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm in California must have warnings in place as follows or face a $2,500 fine per day, per violation.

Zen Honeycutt of Mom Across America stated, “We are thrilled that companies will now have to state specifically, by name, which chemical they are being exposed to. The public has a right to know.However, we are outraged that glyphosate, which is on the Prop 65 list and is sprayed on our food and around our schools and parks, will not be included because Monsanto sued the CA EPA to stop the labeling. This is an injustice to the American public which must be corrected immediately.”  Glyphosate herbicides were the subject of a recent lawsuit in which the plaintiff Dwayne Lee Johnson was awarded 289.2 million dollars from Monsanto for the causation of his non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,which he was exposed to while wearing protective gear as a school pesticide applicator

According to 30 years of EPA policy, normally glyphosate, which was placed on the Prop 65 list in 2017, would be included in this regulation. All products, such as Roundup sold in Home Depot,  would need to carry this warning today. All pesticide applicators would need to be informed that they were using products which cause cancer, and all farmers would see warning labels on their bulk purchases of glyphosate herbicides which they spray on our food crops.  However, Monsanto sued the CA EPA and the judge granted them a temporary injunction which stopped the labeling of glyphosate herbicides. Their reasoning was that Monsanto had the right to “free speech” meaning they and the other clients in the lawsuit, such as the Wheat Growers Association, had the right to not speak about whether their products or food ingredients contained a probable carcinogen. Nevermind that they also have the free will to make or use a chemical which exposes the public unknowingly to a carcinogen.

GREAT, AMAZING, FANTASTIC, WONDROUS NEWS!

Dewayne "Lee" Johnson, a school pesticide applicator with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, WINS his lawsuit against Monsanto! The jury (God Bless them) awarded Johnson 289.2 million dollars! 4000 other plaintiffs are waiting to sue Monsanto and 10,0000 are expected by the end of the year. Surely this decision has Bayer, who now owns Monsanto, reconsidering whether or not to continue to sell glyphosate-based products.

This is a huge win for humanity! Corporations around the world now get that they must take responsibility for the impact of their products! 

Watch the verdict here: 

US Court demands that the EPA must ban chlorpyrifos in 60 days! Chlorpyrifos, a chemical sprayed on food crops, is a known neurotoxin, especially to children, and was supposed to be banned last year. But the ban was revoked by the current administration. Coincidentally, the ban dismissal was enacted after Trump held a meeting with the CEO of Dow, the manufacturers of the chemical, who gave a 1.2 million dollar donation to his campaign. At Moms Across America, we believe that no matter who we vote for, what our political inclinations are, that every public figure has a responsibility to protect our children. This behavior is reprehensible, and we are glad that the courts have the power to reverse that decision and reinstate the ban. We simply cannot allow big business to harm our little kids.

Transcripts of the closing arguments here.

Johnson's lawyer's slides here.

Also, in the news is Monsanto on trial and Robert F. Kennedy Jr - one of the lawyers suing Monsanto for the link to Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Watch his stellar interview here.

We are so glad he addressed all the health issues we moms have been talking about for years now - and that the media is covering this issue!!!!

New Test Results Show What Popular Beer and Wine Brands Have in Common:

Monsanto’s Roundup

March 15, 2018 , Mission Viejo Ca- It has been a rough few years for the alcohol industry, but change is a-brewing. In 2015, Los Angeles CBS news broke the announcement of a lawsuit against 31 brands of wines for high levels of inorganic arsenic. In 2016, 12 California wines tested were all found to be positive for glyphosate herbicide.  In 2016, beer testing in Germany also revealed residues of glyphosate in every single sample tested, even independent beers. Vinters and brewers alike began noticing the growing demand for organic. Just this week, Anheuser-Busch announced that their brand Michelob has launched a new beer Ultra Pure Gold made with organic wheat. What do these events all have in common?

Monsanto’s Roundup. 

How are they connected? If you remember, French scientist Seralini et al released shocking findings in January of 2018 that all the brands of the glyphosate-based Roundup they tested, over a dozen, had high levels of arsenic, over 5x the allowable limit. Roundup used in vineyards and sprayed on grains used in beer as a drying agent is appearing to be one of the major contributing factors of arsenic (and of course, glyphosate) residues in our wine and beer.

Today Moms Across America is releasing new findings of glyphosate in all of the most popular brands of wines in the world, most of which are from the US, and in batch test results in American beer. The findings were at first, confusing. But one thing that was clear was that the beer and wine industries must and in many cases are, moving away from Monsanto’s Roundup in order to avoid contamination by this chemical herbicide, a known neurotoxin, carcinogen, and endocrine disruptor, which causes liver disease. Despite Monsanto’s impassioned appeal of “irreparable harm”, CA federal Judge Shubb allowed glyphosate to remain on the CA Prop 65 carcinogen list in a ruling out just two weeks ago.

WINE

Click here for full pdf report of wine testing.

BEER

Click here for full pdf report of batch beer testing.

CA Judge OKs Glyphosate Prop 65 Listing But Decides Public Doesn’t Need Cancer Warning Label on our Food and Products

February 27, 2018-- Today a CA Federal Judge ruled that the public does not need a warning label to inform us that cancer-causing and harmful chemicals in glyphosate herbicides are in our food or products, temporarily relieving manufacturers from the responsibility of being honest with their customers.  At a time when more and more American families are struggling with diseases and their high cost, one man decided that it was an injustice to the chemical companies to have to tell us about the presence of their chemicals.

Senior United States District Judge William B. Shubb released his ruling regarding the case of Wheat Growers and Monsanto against the California Environmental Protection Agency (CA EPA), Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and the CA Attorney General to remove glyphosate, the declared active chemical ingredient in Roundup, the most widely used herbicide in the world, from the CA Prop 65 carcinogen list, a law approved by California voters by ballot initiative in 1986.

The Judge ruled that OEHHA can keep glyphosate on the Prop 65 carcinogen list but the manufacturers such as Monsanto and food producers will not have to label their products with a warning label. Normally, the law states that products containing chemicals on the list, above a certain level, must label their products within a year from the listing. The label would state, “WARNING this product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer or reproductive harm.” The temporary preliminary injunction granted by the judge halts the impending labeling by manufacturers of products and foods containing glyphosate and allows them to not inform their customers of this fact... that glyphosate has been found to cause cancer in animals and to be a probable human carcinogen.

PREPARED FOR THE 2018 MONSANTO BOARD MEETING

HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

ATTRIBUTABLE TO MONSANTO’S PRODUCTS

Data compiled by members of The Monsanto Tribunal Team, Navdanya, Moms Across America and concerned citizens of the USA.

Introduction

We submit that Monsanto, first and foremost a chemical company, is mistaken in thinking it is its job to “Feed the World”. Monsanto’s job is to make sure the chemicals they sell are safe and effective. Or, to redirect it’s resources to business which does not include using toxic chemicals which can harm humans, wildlife, livestock, soil and the water supply. Monsanto has a responsibility to maintain its commitment to product safety and integrity by forming a committee to investigate if human rights violations have occurred due to their products and business practices.

Millions of people worldwide are working to reclaim their basic right of seed freedom, to protect human health and rights, and to promote poison-free organic farming and agroecology. We call upon Monsanto Company to ensure that their globally acknowledged human rights violations cease and desist.

Did you know that ... despite the fact that 1 out of 2 males and 1 out of 3 females in America are expected to get cancer, a group of U.S. Congressmembers serving on the House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, have threatened to defund and dismantle the  World Health Organization's Independent Science Body, the International Agency for Research of Cancer (IARC)? 

U.S. defunding might have the impact of dismantling this entire body which serves the whole world on cancer issues, as part of the World Health Organization.