A recent study found a weed-killing chemical, which is linked to cancer, in several popular breakfast foods.
The study was done by the non-profit, Environmental Working Group.
EWG discovered trace amounts of the most widely used herbicide in the country in oats, granola and snack bars.
Thirty-one out of 45 tested products had levels of glyphosate that were higher than what some scientists consider safe for children.
Products with excessive levels of the herbicide included Quaker Old Fashioned Oats, Cheerios, Quaker Dinosaur Egg Instant Oats, Great Value Instant Oats, and Back to Nature Classic Granola.
But before jumping to conclusions, experts say you need some context.
“Just because you find a chemical in something doesn’t mean it’s going to be a problem. It’s also about the amount that’s found in these things,” said Thomas Teets, Assistant Professor of Chemistry with the University of Houston.
Teets uses the same techniques to measure chemical levels in his research. He explains the study essentially found a spec of the chemical in each bowl of cereal.
“Even the strictest public health standards that are out there would suggest that, even if an adult human were to eat 78 bowls of cereal a day, they would have a one in 100,000 risk of cancer,” said Teets.
He said the EWG study used even stricter standards than California’s.
His conclusion?
“In my mind, it’s not something to be worried about. There’s a lot of things out there that cause cancer risk, and this isn’t one to be concerned about in my opinion,” the professor said.