The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which advises EU policy makers, says glyphosate, the most widely used weedkiller in the world, is unlikely to cause cancer in humans, said Reuters.
The finding is contrary to the conclusion of WHO’s cancer agency in March that glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, is “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The EFSA report will be used by European Commission, the EU’s administrative wing, in deciding whether to extend the approval period for glyphosate, which ends on Dec 31, said Reuters. The EFSA proposed new controls on glyphosate residues in food, said the news agency.
Based in St. Louis, Monsanto has contested vigorously the March determination by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The EPA is conducting a registration review of glyphosate, required every 15 years. Environmental groups have cited the IARC ranking as a reason to ban the chemical.
EFSA said their study looked solely at glyphosate while IARC considered “co-formulants” with glyphosate. The agency proposed a maximum dose of 0.5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for consumption of glyphosate residues.