(NewsNation) — A chemical linked to reproductive and developmental issues in animals has been detected in Cheerios, Quaker Oats and other oat-based foods, according to a new study.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) found that four in five, or 80%, of Americans tested positive for an additive called chlormequat. The EWG described chlormequat as a toxic “agricultural chemical” used to alter a plant’s growth.
Additionally, the EWG found higher levels and more frequent detection of chlormequat in samples collected in 2023, compared to those from 2017 through 2022. This suggests consumer exposure to chlormequat could be on the rise, researchers said.
In 2017, chlormequat was detected in 69% of study participants. The number increased to 74% between 2018 and 2022 and spiked to 90% in 2023.
Since chlormequat typically leaves the body within 24 hours, the findings suggest Americans are regularly being exposed to the chemical, according to the report.
The EWG also tested 20 more oat-based foods for chlormequat — seven organic, 13 nonorganic, and nine wheat-based products; however, it didn’t specify which brands’ foods it tested.
Detectable levels of chlormequat were found in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods, while only two samples of wheat-based foods — both breads — had low levels of the chemical. Only one of the seven organic samples had low levels of chlormequat.
Previous research has linked the chemical to reduced fertility, altered fetal growth and delayed puberty — but those studies were conducted on animals like pigs, rats and mice, not humans.
In 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed allowing the use of chlormequat in oats and other grains. The chemical currently isn’t approved for use on edible plants in the U.S., but the EPA does allow foods treated with it to be imported into the country, according to USA Today.
The EPA said that based on its human risk assessment, chlormequat does not present any “dietary, residential, or aggregate risks of concern.”
However, the EWG said additional research is needed to investigate any possible health effects in people, as there have only been a small number of biomonitoring studies assessing human exposure to chlormequat.
Until the government puts parameters around the use of chlormequat, the EWG also urged consumers to opt for products with organic oats growth without synthetic chemicals.
PepsiCo and General Mills, the owners of Cheerios and Quaker Oats, did not immediately respond to Nexstar’s request for comment. But a General Mills spokesperson told CBS that its products “adhere to all regulatory requirements.”
“Food safety is always our top priority at General Mills, and we take care to ensure our food is prepared and packaged in the safest way possible,” the spokesperson said.
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February 19, 2024 at 03:46AM
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