Glyphosate poses minimal cancer risk

There is no proof that the chemical glyphosate caused cancer in humans and animals under normal veld conditions, according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, head of the Griffon Poison Information Centre.

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He welcomed the recent announcement by the department of agriculture stating the same thing, saying glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world. In SA, it is sold under no less than 40 brand names.

The department said in a statement that all glyphosate-based products registered for use in SA went through a robust chemical risk assessment process. Based on current risk assessments, glyphosate posed a minimal risk to users and the general public, provided it was used according to label instructions and safety statements.

The department’s response followed a report by the World Health Organisation last week which said that glyphosate could be linked to higher incidences of cancer.

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This was in agreement with other risk assessments conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).