An independent lab has found that Kashi’s ‘healthy’ GoLean Original breakfast cereal (owned by Kellogg’s) is loaded with the herbicide chemical glyphosate. What’s more, it actually contains 6x the amount of glyphosate previously found in Kellogg’s’ Froot Loops cereal.
The Kashi brand has been in trouble before. The company has faced multiple class action lawsuits when consumers accused Kellogg’s of misleading them with “natural” labels despite their cereals containing things like pyridoxine hydrochloride, calcium pantothenate, and hexane-processed soy oil.
Now, GMOFreeUSA.org is reporting that a box of Kashi Go Lean Original Cereal, which was not verified by the GMO Free Project, was sent to a lab to be tested for probably-carcinogenic glyphosate – the main ingredient in Monsanto’s best-selling Round Up.
The results were quite shocking:
“A glyphosate residue test was conducted by an accredited lab using the Specific LC/MS/MS testing method with a minimum detectable level of 0.02 ppm. The test documented the presence of glyphosate in the box of Kashi GoLean Original which was not verified by the Non-GMO Project, at a level of 0.68 ppm, or 0.68 mg/kg. This level is nearly 6 times higher than the levels detected in the independent testing we commissioned on Froot Loops.
The test also documented the presence of AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid), a metabolite of glyphosate, at an even higher level of 0.81ppm or 0.81mg/kg. This is the first time the lab has documented the presence of AMPA in the products we’ve had tested. The test results give significant reason for concern. There is a growing body of scientific evidence (4) that links glyphosate to health and environmental harm.”
PLEASE NOTE: The box of Kashi GoLean Original we tested was NOT verified by the Non-GMO Project. While this product has been subsequently verified by the Non-GMO Project, there are still boxes which have not been verified on store shelves. In addition, we release the results of these tests because there are still other unverified products in the Kashi line that likely contain similar ingredients.
While some might think of Kashi as a healthful choice, it looks like it’s time to ban yet another product made by Big Food. Kellogg’s track record isn’t looking so good.
The following is their public stance on GMOs, reprinted from a PDF the company has published:
“Kellogg Company GMO Position Statement
We understand consumers have questions and strong preferences about the foods they eat. Many influential regulatory agencies and organizations worldwide that study the safety of the food supply have confirmed that genetically modified (GM) ingredients are safe.
This approach adds desirable traits from nature, without introducing anything unnatural or using chemicals, so that food is more plentiful. GM ingredients have been around for the past 20 years, are represented in the vast majority of the foods on grocery shelves in the U.S. and many other countries, and help keep food costs down.
They also help feed the hungry and malnourished in developing nations. In some markets around the world, we do not use GM ingredients based on input from our consumers and local availability. For U.S. consumers who prefer an alternative, our Kashi brand offers a variety of Non-GMO Project Verified options.
Kellogg also supports proposed U.S. legislation to establish a federal standard for companies that want to voluntarily label their foods for the absence or presence of GMO food ingredients. We continue to actively monitor the science, regulations and our consumers’ preferences on this topic.
For more information on GM ingredients, visit http://factsaboutgmos.org/. For information about the proposed U.S. legislation, visit www.CFSAF.org.”
Additional Sources:
Featured image sourced and modified from GMOFreeUSA.org