Active ingredient in Roundup weed killer found in popular beers and wine
Traces of pesticide and herbicide glyphosate, an ingredient in weed killer have been found in popular beers and wine, according to a study by U.S. PIRG. Though the levels of glyphosate in the drinks tested aren't necessarily dangerous, the World Health Organization said in a 2015 report that the pesticide is 'probably carcinogenic to humans.'
Traces of an ingredient found in weed killers have been discovered in popular beers and wine, according to a study by U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG).
The pesticide and herbicide glyphosate, a key ingredient in Roundup, was found in 19 of the 20 wines and beers tested, even in organic brands.
Though the levels of glyphosate in the drinks tested aren’t necessarily dangerous, the World Health Organization said in a 2015 report that the pesticide is “probably carcinogenic to humans." In 2017, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment announced glyphosate “would be added to the list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer.”
But many health professionals have urged consumers not to panic and encourage more thorough research into the matter before cutting out any of these popular foods or drinks.
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Five wine brands including Beringer, Barefoot and Sutter Home and 15 beer brands including Guinness, Budweiser, Coors, Samuel Adams and Miller Lite were tested in the study.
The study analyzed 15 beer brands including Guinness, Budweiser, Coors, Samuel Adams and Miller Lite.
The only brand that had no detectable traces of glyphosate was Peak Beer, the study found.
The wine with the highest glyphosate levels was Sutter Home with 51 parts per billion (ppb) and the beer with the highest levels was Tsingtao Beer with 49.7 ppb.
"Conventional brands" such as Coors and Miller Lite all had glyphosate levels of at least 25 ppb and even organic drinks were susceptible, such as the Samuel Smith Organic Lager with 5.7 ppb.
However, none of the levels exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s risk tolerance for beverages.
“No matter the efforts of brewers and vintners, we found that it is incredibly difficult to avoid the troubling reality that consumers will likely drink glyphosate at every happy hour and backyard barbecue around the country,” Kara Cook-Schultz, of the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, who authored the study told USA TODAY.
Fox News' Madeline Farber contributed to this report.