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  • Scott Adams
    Scott Adams

    Toxic Levels of Glyphosate, Pesticides, Low Mineral Content, and Even Gluten Found in Gluten-Free Products

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Certain Trader Joe's, Simple Mills, and Made Good Foods products registered gluten levels above the FDA's allowable limit of 20 ppm, posing a risk to individuals with celiac disease.

    Toxic Levels of Glyphosate, Pesticides, Low Mineral Content, and Even Gluten Found in Gluten-Free Products - "Roundup Monsanto" by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
    Caption:
    "Roundup Monsanto" by JeepersMedia is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

    Celiac.com 06/11/2024 - The findings from a study conducted by Moms Across America shed light on concerning levels of glyphosate, pesticides, low mineral content, and even gluten in gluten-free products. This is particularly relevant to individuals with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, a population that relies on gluten-free products to manage their condition.

    The study tested 46 samples of organic and non-organic gluten-free food products, including bread, pasta, crackers, snacks, flour, dessert mixes, and chips, for glyphosate/AMPA, 236 pesticides, gluten, and mineral content. The results revealed that 44 out of 46 samples tested positive for glyphosate, a known contributor to gluten intolerance. What's more alarming is that 21% of these samples exceeded the EU threshold for acceptable glyphosate residues.

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    Notably, the highest level of glyphosate was found in Banza Chickpea Pasta, reaching a staggering 2,963 ppb, the highest amount ever recorded in human food by the lab. Additionally, the study identified 2,4-D, the active chemical in Agent Orange, as the most prevalent pesticide detected in the samples.

    Moreover, three of the samples tested, including products made by Trader Joe's, Simple Mills, and Made Good Foods, registered gluten levels above the FDA's allowable limit of 20 ppm, posing a risk to individuals with celiac disease who rely on gluten-free products.

    Key Findings - Gluten in "Gluten-Free" Products:

    • Trader Joe's Everything Bagel registered 269.8 ppm gluten, over ten times the level deemed safe by the FDA. A product recall should be issued for this product, as it exceeds the FDA's level of 20 ppm for gluten-free products.
    • Three of the samples, namely Simple Mills Brownie Mix, Made Good Foods Soft Baked Double Chocolate Cookies, and Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers registered gluten levels above the 20 ppm allowed by the FDA (31.7 ppm, 56.1 ppm, and 59.4 ppm, respectively) - Each of these products were certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), which certifies products as gluten-free if they are below 10 ppm. A product recall should be issued for these products, as they exceed the FDA's level of 20 ppm for gluten-free products.
    • Three additional samples had levels of gluten above 10 ppm: Jovial Foods Spaghetti (10.6 ppm), GoMacro Berry Granola Bar (15.9 ppm), and Shar Pretzels (14.3 ppm). This level of gluten is considered safe for celiacs according to the FDA, however the GoMacro bars and Jovial pastas are also certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), which means they are breaking the certification rules of the GFCO. Likewise, these products should also be recalled per the GFCO's guidelines for gluten-free certification.

    Key Findings - Pesticides and Weed Killer in Gluten-Free Products

    • 44 of the 46 samples tested were positive for glyphosate, a known contributor to gluten intolerance. Twenty-one percent tested higher than 10 ppb, the EU threshold for acceptable glyphosate residues.
    • The highest level of glyphosate - 2,963 ppb found in Banza Chickpea Pasta - is the highest amount ever measured in human food by the lab.
    • Gluten-free products that were also organic were not the lowest in glyphosate.
    • 2,4-D, the active chemical in Agent Orange, was the most prevalent pesticide detected.
    • King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour and Milton’s Sea Salt Crackers had the highest levels of pesticides at 147 ppb and 75 ppb, respectively.
    • The mineral values in all samples were very low based on the FDA Recommended Daily Values and accurate serving sizes per category, well below the 10% of daily value considered sufficient across age and gender.

    "The glyphosate contamination in these products should set off alarm bells, because those who try to improve gut health by switching to a gluten-free diet may be jumping from the frying pan into the fire," remarked MIT research scientist Stephanie Seneff, author of Toxic Legacy.

    Zen Honeycutt, founding Director of Moms Across America, states, "The prevalence of glyphosate and agrochemicals in gluten-free food products made for people with conditions such as celiac disease is disturbing for many reasons, especially because it is avoidable. All our policy makers need to do is disallow the spraying of glyphosate and other agrochemicals as a drying agent, as the EU has done, and 80% of our exposure to glyphosate would be eliminated from our diet altogether. We urge food manufacturers to join us in calling for better regulation of the food supply."

    The low mineral content in all samples further raises concerns about the nutritional value of gluten-free products. With these findings, there is a call for improved regulation of the food supply chain to eliminate glyphosate and other harmful agrochemicals, particularly in products marketed to individuals with conditions like celiac disease. This study underscores the importance of informed consumer choices and the need for transparency and stricter standards in gluten-free food production.

    For more details on all test results, visit: momsacrossamerica.com

    Read more at: wkrg.com

    Join the lively discussion on this topic in our forum.

    06/14/2024 - An earlier version of this article mentioned that Made Good Foods Vanilla Cookies were found to contain over 20ppm gluten, but was updated to Made Good Foods Soft Baked Double Chocolate Cookies. This change reflects a change that was made to the original study after we had published this article.

    06/18/2024 - Trader Joe's Everything Bagel was also added to this article.



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    Scott Adams

    I will try to reach out to Health Research Institute Labs for a comment. While false positive results can occur with the Romer Labs AgraStrip Gluten G12 test, they are generally not very common if proper testing protocols are followed. The test is considered reliable and is extensively used in the food industry to ensure products meet gluten-free standards. Proper handling, sample preparation, and adherence to testing protocols are key to minimizing the risk of false positives. Health Research Institute Labs carried out each test in duplicate, to ensure accuracy and reproducibility of the results. 

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    ArthurS

    Is there no legislature that puts these people in jail for literally poisoning us? They claimed their product has no allergens and some of us have some serious consequences with consumption, it seems like it is time to press for jail time instead of fines to these criminals. 

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    ArthurS

    Sorry for double comment but I am unsure of how to edit my post, I wanted to add a side note posed as a question, is the glyphosate ban in EU the reason why gluten intolerant Americans have a much easier time with breaded products in Europe? It’s a very commonly discussed topic and was curious if this had anything to do with it. 

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    Scott Adams

    Hello @ArthurS, I just want to mention that the comments in this thread have covered glyphosate, which is not banned in the EU, but is banned in a couple of countries within the EU and there are some other areas within the EU that also ban its use.

    I also want to mention that the amounts of gluten detected in these products, with the exception of the Trader Joe's Everything Bagels, is still a very tiny amount, which would likely not cause issues for most celiacs, but may cause issues for those of us who are very sensitive, or those who ate such products daily. None of these companies would deserve to go to jail for this, and each is likely doing their best to ensure that their products meet FDA standard, and GFCO standards for the ones that were certified by them. If you make the penalties too harsh for such issues, then nobody would make gluten-free foods.

     

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    Scott Adams

    Here is Trader Joe's reply to our inquiry about the Moms Across America study:

    Quote

    Thank you for reaching out. While we can’t speak to the specific tests they performed on any product, we can share with you that our Gluten Free Almost Everything Bagels are made in a gluten free bakery, and each “lot” of bagels is tested to ensure that it meets our gluten free standard. Our standard is aligned with GFCO at less than 10 ppm, which is more stringent than the FDA standard of 20 ppm.

    If you can share the lot code on the Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Almost Everything Bagels that were tested, we can contact our supplier to verify the test results for that specific lot. Again, every lot is tested, and the product will only be sold at Trader Joe’s if those tests verify that it meets our standards.

    We approach product quality and integrity seriously. When there is an issue, we take action quickly, aggressively investigating potential problems if there is any doubt about its safety or quality.

    Thank you,
    Nakia Rohde
    Public Relations Manager

    I replied to inform Nakia that there is no lot number included in the study, and she replied back with:

    Quote

    Thanks for sharing these details. We will share these results with our supplier, who, as indicated in my earlier email, is an entirely gluten free bakery facility. Again, without a lot code, neither we nor our supplier can compare results against any of the results of the regular testing done on this product. And again, every lot of product that is delivered to Trader Joe’s tests at a level below 10ppm.

     

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    SaraHx200

    This article is not factual. There is glyphosate in these products, but the conversion from ng/g to ppm is incorrect. The amount of glyphosate in these products is significantly less than this article states.

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    Scott Adams

    Nothing is incorrect in our article, but you would need to be more specific and state exactly what is not correct about it in order for us to respond. The tests for glyphosate were in parts per billion (ppb), as our article includes.

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    Scott Adams

    After finally receiving the lot number from Trader Joe's for the Everything Bagels tested by Moms Across America for their study, I received this response from Trader Joe's yesterday:

    Quote

    Thanks for sharing the lot code information. We have confirmed the code with our supplier – connecting it to a specific production batch.  The results of testing on this lot/batch of Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Almost Everything Bagels are in compliance with the FDA requirements for “gluten-free” labeling and meet the GFCO standard (which is also Trader Joe’s standard) – below 10ppm.

    Best,
    Tara

    Tara J Miller
    Vice President, Marketing

    So basically all companies we've contacted about high gluten results that were found in the study are circling their wagons and claiming that the batch in question is normal and gluten-free. Can both sides be right? Yes, especially if they have issues with hot spots within a batch, which would be the best way to explain the conflicting results.

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    LPat02
    39 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

    After finally receiving the lot number from Trader Joe's for the Everything Bagels tested by Moms Across America for their study, I received this response from Trader Joe's yesterday:

    So basically all companies we've contacted about high gluten results that were found in the study are circling their wagons and claiming that the batch in question is normal and gluten-free. Can both sides be right? Yes, especially if they have issues with hot spots within a batch, which would be the best way to explain the conflicting results.

    I find it hard to believe that Moms Across America hit a hotspot in that many products. Unless someone makes a surprise visit to these companies and makes them pull the same sample in front of them and then test it,  they are able to fudge the books and use any sample they want. Instead they are contacted and given notice. Unannounced testing needs to be done by the FDA in all gluten free facilities. 

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    Scott Adams

    The lab used by Moms Across America ran their test two times on each product, to be sure that their results were correct, and the test they used isn't prone to false positive results. 

    A class action lawsuit was filed last Friday against Trader Joe's, and the danger here is that some companies may discontinue their gluten-free products, or smaller companies may go out of business due to such lawsuits:

     

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    LPat02
    36 minutes ago, Scott Adams said:

    The lab used by Moms Across America ran their test two times on each product, to be sure that their results were correct, and the test they used isn't prone to false positive results. 

    A class action lawsuit was filed last Friday against Trader Joe's, and the danger here is that some companies may discontinue their gluten-free products, or smaller companies may go out of business due to such lawsuits:

     

    I would rather they discontinue if they aren’t doing to test properly. The problem I see here is all of these companies claim to be in compliance. The evidence says otherwise. Why is it left up to the manufacturer to hand over the batches being tested instead of the FDA going in and investigating and getting the batches of food themselves? For all we know they are handing over a completely different batch. 

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    Richard B
    2 hours ago, Scott Adams said:

    The lab used by Moms Across America ran their test two times on each product, to be sure that their results were correct, and the test they used isn't prone to false positive results. 

    A class action lawsuit was filed last Friday against Trader Joe's, and the danger here is that some companies may discontinue their gluten-free products, or smaller companies may go out of business due to such lawsuits:

     

    My wife was diagnosed with celiac 2 months ago and believe you…I learned very quickly about gluten-free foods… were very healthy and really do cook gluten-free except for enjoying homemade bread , pasta…I’m one that always examines ingredients when I’m buying any products. I’ve now decided since we are gluten-free the safest products are Organic weather it be store bought cookies or gluten-free flours, seeds to make your own breads, pastas…etc…the choice between conventional and organic fruits and veg is always organic. 
    btw i try to always buy European b/c this  pesticide is banned. Why isn’t it banned in the USA? 

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  • About Me

    Scott Adams

    Scott Adams was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1994, and, due to the nearly total lack of information available at that time, was forced to become an expert on the disease in order to recover. In 1995 he launched the site that later became Celiac.com to help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives.  He is co-author of the book Cereal Killers, and founder and publisher of the (formerly paper) newsletter Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. In 1998 he founded The Gluten-Free Mall which he sold in 2014. Celiac.com does not sell any products, and is 100% advertiser supported.


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