Glyphosate: Highest + Lowest Levels In Food
Plus impact on gut, brain, and cancer risk.
As of May 2025, there have been more than 100,000 lawsuits against Roundup manufacturers Monsanto and Bayer, paying out approximately $11 billion.
These settlements address claims that exposure to Roundup, which contains the herbicide glyphosate, led to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers.
There are still 67,000 active Roundup lawsuits pending, and new lawsuits continue to be filed on a regular basis.
While the EPA claims that “glyphosate is unlikely to be a human carcinogen,” many people are becoming aware of these lawsuits and growing concerned about the impacts of glyphosate on health.
This article is going to break down what glyphosate is, the health impacts of glyphosate, and foods with the highest and lowest levels of glyphosate so you can make informed decisions if trying to limit exposure.
What Is Glyphosate?
Glyphosate is the active chemical ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, which was introduced by the company Monsanto in 1974. Monsanto was bought out by Bayer in 2018, acquiring Roundup and its entire product line.
It’s a non-selective herbicide, which means it kills any plant it comes into contact with and prevents the growth of new weeds and grasses by interfering with their growth.
Here’s how glyphosate works:
Glyphosate is absorbed through a plant’s leaves and then moves systemically throughout the plant to inhibit a critical enzyme called EPSP synthase within the shikimate pathway.
When this enzyme is blocked/inhibited, the plant is unable to produce key amino acids that are needed for protein synthesis, plant growth, and defense mechanisms.
Without these amino acids, the plant can't survive, and it gradually withers and dies. This process typically takes several days to a week.
According to a study published in Environmental Sciences, Glyphosate is the most widely used agricultural chemical, reporting that “In the U.S., no pesticide has come remotely close to such intensive and widespread use.”
Glyphosate use has risen over 3,000% in U.S. agriculture since glyphosate-tolerant (Roundup Ready) GMO crops were introduced in the mid 1990s.
This includes the majority of non-organic (conventional) produce, especially wheat, corn, soy, and sugar beet which are genetically modified to tolerate glyphosate.
Glyphosate has become one of the most extensively used herbicides globally. It’s sprayed on the majority of non-organic (conventional) produce, especially wheat, corn, soy, and sugar beet.
Health Risks Of Glyphosate
The EPA regulates the use of pesticides, and claims that “there are no risks of concern to human health when glyphosate is used in accordance with its current label.”
However, as mentioned in the opening paragraphs, there has been increasing concern with the use of glyphosate, including over 100,000 lawsuits against Monsanto, especially relating to cancer.
Let’s look at the health risks of glyphosate below.
Cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as a Group 2A carcinogen, meaning "probably carcinogenic to humans."