Agribusiness
Plant poison in German beer
German Beers are with the pesticide glyphosate charged. This was the result of a Test on behalf of the Munich environment Institute. The weed killer glyphosate is suspected of causing cancer.
The Munich environmental Institute had 14 of the most popular beer brands in Germany to the weed killer glyphosate
examine. For all of the tested Beers found the lab traces of the Pflanzengifts.
The values were from 0.5 to 29.7 micrograms per Liter in the most extreme case, almost 300 times the legal limit for drinking water. The is 0.1 micrograms. A limit for beer, there is, however, not.
“A substance that is probably carcinogenic, not in the beer still in our body a little bit lost,” commented Sophia Guttenberg from the Umweltinstitut München the result.
How dangerous is glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide and was used in the 1970s by the Agrarkonzern Monsanto developed. The poison kills all plants that come into contact with it.
Of the world health organization (WHO) glyphosate as genotoxic and
probably carcinogenic in humans are classified. It is also suspected in the endocrine system to intervene and fertility damage.
Scientists,
Doctors and environmentalists demand has long been a worldwide ban on glyphosate. The German Federal Institute for risk assessment (BfR) shares this assessment, however, does not assess the plant poison as
“probably not carcinogenic”. Against the evaluation criteria of the BfR collect some scientists serious allegations.
At the beginning of March decision of the EU about the further approval of the controversial pesticide, in June runs the previous approval. The EU Commission wants the approval to a further 15 years to extend.
Glyphosate is increasing worldwide. Plants with the poison come in contact with will be destroyed.
“Residues to be expected”
The Federal Institute for risk assessment wonders about the residues of glyphosate in beer do not. “From a scientific point of view are residues generally to be expected, since glyphosate is an approved active ingredient in cereals,” it says in a
the preliminary assessment. A concrete danger for the health of consumers, the authority sees through the concentrations found do not.
This assessment includes also the German brewers Federation, and stresses that the Breweries, the residues of glyphosate to control, and no Exceedances of the maximum levels detected.
Compared to the German press Agency (dpa) said Marika Kolossa from the German Federal environment Agency, that a load of people with glyphosate is “not desirable”, as the experts in conclusion not agree were whether glyphosate causes cancer in humans can provoke.
More and more citizens do not want more glyphosate in food. The concern about the health risks are great.
Appeal for the Prevention of
The Umweltinstitut in Munich, referred to the concentration detected as small, but “in cancer-causing and hormone-effective substances, there is no lower limit under which you are sure”, says the report. “Even the smallest amounts can have a harmful effect.” Moreover, since other food residues from pesticides and chemicals contained, carrying the beer to a total load of hazardous substances. For this reason
appeals to the environmental Institute at the Breweries “to the company to the customer for this additional load, save”.
According to Bundesumweltbundesamt, when the German farmers plenty of glyphosate: In 2012, there were 6000 tons. To the total in all foods, to reduce, calls for the Munich environment Institute, the German Federal government, the preventive health and strengthen at European level against re-approval of glyphosate.