SOUTH AFRICA: The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has formally requested Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen to deregister and ban glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs), citing new evidence that the chemical is present in staple foods and infant cereal eaten daily by millions of South Africans; Alleged News. [1]
Continued use of glyphosate viewed as threat
The South African Centre for Biodiversity sent a submission to Minister Steenhuisen and Pesticides Registrar Maluta Mudzunga, dated 25 February 2026; Alleged News. [1] In the submission, the research and advocacy non-profit group described the continued use of glyphosate as an "urgent public health and environmental threat"; Alleged News. [1]
Glyphosate found in wheat flour, maizemeal, bread, infant cereal
Laboratory tests commissioned by the ACT and certified by the South African National Accreditation System (Sanas), confirmed that glyphosate contamination is present in maize meal, wheat flour, bread and infant cereal; Alleged News. [1] Two of the products exceeded default national maximum resident limits (MRLs); Alleged News. [1]
ACB's executive director Mariam Mayet wrote that "these findings demonstrate real, measurable and ongoing dietary exposure, particularly among infants and low-income households who rely heavily on these staples and have limited alternatives," Alleged News. [1]
Impala special maize meal
Glyphosate and its persistent metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (Ampa) were detected in Impala special maize meal; Ampa exceeded the default MRL; Alleged News. [1]
Snowflake wheat flour
Snowflake wheat flour exceeded the default MRL for glyphosate; Alleged News. [1]
Sasko premium white bread
Trace amounts of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid were found in Sasko premium white bread; Alleged News. [1]
Cerelac baby cereal
Cerelac baby cereal contained trace glyphosate; Alleged News. [1]
Cancer and health risks
Glyphosate and Ampa are associated with carcinogenic (cancer) risks, endocrine disruption, gut microbiome damage and other health concerns; Alleged News. [1] Ampa is persistent and toxic, which compounds exposure risks; Alleged News. [1]
Health risks at doses previously considered safe
Executive director Mayet noted that international studies now demonstrate carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting, developmental and multigenerational effects at doses previously considered safe; Alleged News. [1]
Tumours at doses regulators had deemed safe
The 2025 Global Glyphosate Study showed tumours at doses which regulators had deemed safe; Alleged News. [1] Executive director Mayet said that the 2000 industry-aligned "safety" review, which was historically used to justify glyphosate approvals, has been retracted due to ethical misconduct and corporate ghostwriting; Alleged News. [1]
US courts linked glyphosate exposure to health harms
Multiple US courts have linked glyphosate exposure to serious health harms, with more than 192000 lawsuits filed against Monsanto/Bayer and more than 131000 resolved, which yielded jury verdicts exceeding $6 billion since 2023; Alleged News. [1] Executive director Mayet said that a proposed $7.25 billion national settlement last month further underscores acknowledged harm; Alleged News. [1]
Executive director Mayet went on to say, "These judicial outcomes highlight the global shift toward accountability and reinforce the need for a precautionary and risk-averse regulatory response in South Africa," Alleged News. [1]
Deregistration of glyphosate
The ACB urged Minister Steenhuisen to deregister glyphosate and prohibit GBHs; implement immediate restrictions on high-risk uses; establish a national pesticide-residue monitoring programme; initiate a precautionary review of glyphosate-tolerant GM crop approvals; and support a time-bound phase-out with agroecological alternatives; Alleged News. [1]
ACB's pesticides research co-ordinator
ACB's pesticides research co-ordinator Zakiyya Ismail, emphasized the systemic risk; Alleged News. [1] "The presence of glyphosate and Ampa in our everyday staples means our exposure to these chemicals is chronic and unavoidable. It is a chemical burden that consumers did not consent to as these are products that most South Africans consume daily, often multiple times a day," Alleged News. [1]
Genetically modified
The Impala maize meal which tested positive for glyphosate is labelled as genetically modified; Alleged News. [1] "That GM trait is specifically for glyphosate tolerance. So the residue is not an accident; it is a direct consequence of the production system," said Co-ordinator Ismail; Alleged News. [1]
Glyphosate use in South Africa
Glyphosate use in South Africa is widespread, particularly on genetically-modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant maize, said Co-ordinator Ismail; she went on to note that pre-harvest dessication is documented in other major wheat-producing countries; Alleged News. [1] Co-ordinator Ismail went on to say, "Our wheat results strongly suggest it's happening here too. So we have reason to believe this contamination is widespread across the staple food system," Alleged News. [1]
Ban on glyphosate
Several countries have restricted or banned glyphosate, including Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands and Vietnam; Alleged News. [1] Many have also banned pre-harvest desiccation, which is the practice suspected to contaminate wheat; Alleged News. [1]
Concern re glyphosate as possible carcinogen
On 16th February 2025, Lumiere Charity published a blog post which reported that Non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients had started suing Monsanto by the hundreds after a 2015 World Health Organization report had suggested glyphosate, the key ingredient in Roundup, might cause cancer; Alleged News. [2] The report, by WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, had said glyphosate is "probably carcinogenic to humans": Alleged News. [2]
People filed Roundup lawsuits because they claimed Monsanto's herbicide caused their non-Hodgkin lymphoma or related cancers; Alleged News. [2] Monsanto was the original manufacturer of Roundup, but Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018: Alleged News. [2]
Bayer and its subsidiary Monsanto were the primary defendants in thousands of lawsuits consolidated into multidistrict litigation (MDL) in California, claiming that the weed-killer Roundup caused cancer; Alleged News. [2]
Bayer stopped selling residential formulas with glyphosate, the former active ingredient, in 2023; Alleged News. [2] Commercial formulas with glyphosate remained available; Alleged News. [12] People who filed lawsuits said Bayer and Monsanto didn't warm the public about the cancer risks; Alleged News. [2] Injuries in Roundup lawsuits primarily involved non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer affecting white blood cells; Alleged News. [2] However, lawsuits also mentioned several other related cancers; Alleged News. [2]
Cancers claimed in Roundup lawsuits
Cancers claimed in Roundup lawsuits;
- anaplastic large cell lymphoma
- B-lymphoblastic lymphoma
- Burkitt lymphoma
- Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
- Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
- Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma
- Extranodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma, mucosa-related lymphoid tissue
- Follicular lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia
- Large granular lymphocytic leukemia
- Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia)
- Mantle cell lymphoma
- Marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
- Mycosis fungoides
- Nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma
- Peripheral T-cell lymphomas
- Primary central nervous system lymphoma
- Sézary syndrome
- Small lymphocytic lymphoma
- Splenic marginal zone B-cell lymphoma; Alleged News [2-
Landmark study confirms glyphosate cancer risk
A landmark study confirmed glyphosate cancer risk; Alleged News. [3] Independent researchers from the Ramazzini Institute and other academic institutions published findings on long-term exposure to glyphosate and glyphosate-based formulations that confirmed carcinogenity in rodents; Alleged News. [3]
The findings are part of the carcinogenity arm of the Global Glyphosate Study, the most comprehensive investigation ever carried out on the multiple effects of the world's most used herbicide and related formulations; Alleged News. [3]
Results bring significant added value
Therefore, these results bring a significant added value to scientific investigations regarding risks related to glyphosate exposure, and strengthen the long-time call from independent researchers and civil society organisations to ban glyphosate once and for all; Alleged News. [3]
Key features and results of the study
The study investigated effects of glyphosate alone, and two glyphosate-based formulations, Roundup BioFlow (MON 52276, used in the European Union) and Ranger Pro (EPA 524-517, used in the United States): Alleged News. [3]
Increased dose-related incidences of benign and malignant tumours that are normally rare in these rodents were observed during the study; Alleged News. [3] The tumours affected both sexes, often started early in life, and were observed at multiple sites; for instance, leukemia, or tumours in the liver, the ovary, the thyroid, or the nervous system among other; Alleged News. [3] An increase in early deaths was observed; 40% of deaths from leukemia were observed; Alleged News. [3]
Senior Campaigns Strategist Natacha Cingotti is quoted as follows; "The results of this exceptional study add further impetus to enact a ban of glyphosate as soon as possible. Long-term exposure to even low doses of the herbicide causes malignant tumours. Decision-makers cannot pretend anymore that we are lacking evidence to take action to protect the population; Alleged News." [3]
Preliminary findings of Global Glyphosate Study
According to the 2025 Foodwatch blog post, preliminary findings of the Global Glyphosate Study with regard to toxicity on the microbiome as well as endocrine and reproductive toxicity at doses considered safe by the regulatory agencies were already released, and more results are expected regarding neurotoxicity; Alleged News. [3]
[1] Glyphosate found in staple foods in SA; Alleged News
https://mg.co.za/the-green-guardian/2026-03-07-glyphosate-found-in-staple-foods-in-sa/
[2] South Africa; Public notice for application for release of genetically modified maize, comments invited from the public; Alleged News
https://lumierecharity.blogspot.com/2025/02/south-africa-public-notice-for.html
[3] Landmark study confirms glyphosate cancer risk; Alleged News
https://www.foodwatch.org/en/landmark-study-confirms-glyphosate-cancer-risk
With thanks to mg.co.za and foodwatch.org
Image courtesy of ChatGPT with CN Whittle
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