General Mills Has Explaining to Do After Pesticides Discovered in Cheerios

“Dozens of cereals, oatmeals and snack bars contain trace amounts of a weed killer that has been linked to cancer, a new report says,” the UK Daily Mail reports. “Released by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the report found 26 of 28 oat-based cereal products that were tested had ‘harmful’ levels of glyphosate, the main ingredient of Roundup.”

It’s the kind of nightmare anyone might have about food. We naturally trust certain companies and brands would never serve us something other than what’s advertised, and certainly nothing harmful or deadly.

But what if they did?

“Products included variations of Cheerios and Quaker Oats, including Honey Nut Cheerios, Quaker Oatmeal Squares Honey Nut, and Quaker Overnight Oats.”

The Daily Mail reports that the levels of weed killer found in these products has never been found to be above the levels of what is allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but there is concern that even those low levels being consumed by children every day is probably not good for them.

You think?

But also…

Why does any “level” of weed killer need to be in cereal in the first place?

Cheerios-maker General Mills told CNN “The extremely low levels of pesticide residue cited in recent news reports is a tiny fraction of the amount the government allows.”  The EPA even said there’s no need for customers to worry.

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But the EWG’s Dr. Alexis Temkin, a toxicologist who worked on the report, replied to the Daily Mail, “Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s safe or that it provides that extra level of protection for children.”

Damn straight!

Is it even safe to eat breakfast anymore?