Oatmeal May Kill: Quaker Oats Hit With $5-Million Lawsuit For Using Cancer-Causing Herbicide During Production

Your favorite all-natural oatmeal in the morning may kill you, according to a New Yorker who filed a $5-million lawsuit against the Quaker Oats Company. The man claimed that the American food conglomerate is using cancer-causing herbicide during production.

Quaker Oats And The Cancer-Causing Herbicide

New York Post reports that Lewis Daly, from Brooklyn, New York, filed a $5-million lawsuit to the federal court, accusing Quaker Oats of using a cancer-causing herbicide called glyphosate in processing its oats. Lewis' court papers say that the Chicago-based company's "100% Natural" oatmeal is "false, deceptive and misleading."

Lewis asserted that Quaker Oats is using the cancer-causing herbicide to grow its oats. He added that glyphosate is also sprayed on the oats to act as a drying agent before harvest time.

Quaker Oats Denied Using Cancer-Causing Herbicide

The Quaker Oats Company, which is owned by PepsiCo, denied Lewis' allegations. New York Times reports that the company released a statement affirming that the oats used in its products are grown in an eco-friendly manner. "Since oats require less herbicide spray than many other grains, there is less risk of pollutants and groundwater contamination," the company explained.

Despite denying that it did not add cancer-causing herbicide during production, the Quaker Oats Company acknowledged that glyphosate may be applied by farmers at some grains before harvest. The company, however, clarified that all of the oats it acquired from farmers underwent a thorough cleansing process.

Possible Effects of Eating Quaker Oats

According to the Daily Mail, the glyphosate, which is allegedly used by Quaker Oats during production, is a well-known agricultural herbicide until the World Health Organization categorized it as "probably carcinogenic to humans" last year. The cancer-causing herbicide has been associated as one of the causes of several cancers such as kidney, thyroid, breast, pancreas, bladder, liver and myeloid leukemia.

Last April, the Alliance for Natural Health-USA conducted a series of tests and found that popular breakfast foods such as eggs, bread, bagels, whole wheat and coffee creamers contained high levels of the cancer-causing herbicide. Over 40 percent of breakfast foods tested had alarming levels of glyphosate.

Do you believe in Quaker Oats Company's explanation? Share your thoughts below.