FDA To Begin Food Testing For The World’s Most Used Agricultural Chemical

Almost a year ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that the chemical glyphosate allegedly can cause cancer. Because one of the most-used agriculture chemicals around the globe uses glyphosate as its active ingredient, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has  finally decided to conduct food tests for any chemical residue.

"The agency is now preparing plans for Fiscal Year 2016 to measure glyphosate in soybeans, corn, milk, and eggs, among other potential foods," said Lauren Sucher, an FDA press officer. She also added, "...glyphosate levels, if present in genetically engineered corn and soybeans, are likely to be reduced by the processing done to those foods."

The U.S. FDA is presently looking forward to execute the first part of the plan this year where the organization will focus on testing foods like milk, eggs, soybeans and corn, as reported by Newsweek. Also, according to them, the government organization wasn't able to conduct the food testing in the past due to some labor and cost restrictions.

Monsanto Co, the manufacturers of the industrial chemical Roundup, still denies the active ingredient glyphosate they're using can cause cancer. That is despite the legal battles the company's facing at present against farmers that testify how their frequent exposure to the company's product caused them cancer.

"The most extensive worldwide human health databases ever compiled on an agricultural product contradict the claims of the suits," Charla Lord, Monsanto Co spokeswoman, said in an interview with Reuters.

Meanwhile, a recent study which was published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe showed how U.S. farmers have used 1.8 million tons of the chemical glyphosate since 1974, as stated by News Max. On the other hand, almost 9.4 million of this chemical have also been used worldwide -- showing that almost half a pound of the chemical was used to cultivate about an acre of land.