Are you concerned about the amount of toxic glyphosate found in your food and personal care products? If you find yourself concerned about the amount of glyphosate found in conventional products, Mamavation wants to introduce you to some brands that are free from glyphosate. We’ve partnered with 17 brands that test 3x or more per year for glyphosate to prove they are free from this toxic herbicide. You’ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best collagen, best cooking oils without PFAS “forever chemicals,” and best nut butters without PFAS “forever chemicals,” now join us for our biggest glyphosate-free giveaway of all time!
Disclosure: This post was medically reviewed by Sondra Strand, RN, BSN, PHN. This post is sponsored by Pasturebird, Jovial Foods, Red Belly Honey, White Leaf Provisions, Organifi, Prima, Heavenly Hunks, Regular Girl, Calafia Farms, FOND Bone Broth, Rise Brewing Company, Purium, Kiki Milk, Wedderspoon, NuvitaCBD, & Philosopher Foods. This post also contains affiliate links.
Table of Contents
What is Glyphosate & Why You Should Avoid It
Glyphosate is the most popular herbicide in the world, used mostly as a pesticide or as a pre-harvest drying aid in major crops around the world like oats, wheat, and pulses. Glyphosate is also found in numerous homes around the world as a “weed killer” for parks, gardens, and walkways. “Roundup Weed Killer” by Bayer/Monsanto is the most recognizable brand of glyphosate for purchase to use around the home, however, many brands sold at your local hardware store use the same chemical.
The use of glyphosate spraying skyrocketed with the introduction of genetically engineered Roundup Ready crops, such as GMO corn, soybeans, cotton, canola, & sugar beets. It was first approved in 1996 under the Clinton administration. In contrast, in 1995 farmers were using 40 million pounds of glyphosate, and by 2014 that number has increased to 280-290 million pounds according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). More recently, since 1992 Midwestern corn and soybean farmers have increased their usage of glyphosate nearly 40 times and by 2016 were using a total of 188.7 million pounds.
This is very problematic to the surrounding community because the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found glyphosate is linked to cancer in humans, thus making it a “probable human carcinogen.” In addition to cancer, scientists have linked glyphosate exposure to the following human health risks:
- Harms beneficial gut bacteria
- Birth defects
- Infertility
- Reproductive issues, such as miscarriages
- Shorter pregnancies
- Increased infant mortality
- Certain cancers, like non-Hodgkin lymphoma and breast cancer
- Liver and kidney damage with exposure as low doses and linked to altering gene function of over 4,000 genes in the kidneys and livers of rats at very low doses from glyphosate formulations.
Glyphosate Residue-Free Certification from The Detox Project
If you want to avoid glyphosate in food and personal care products, It’s not enough to just opt for USDA Organic products. Organic products (like we will mention below) have been known to have detectable glyphosate in trace amounts based on their proximity to conventional farms, manufacturing contamination, or fraud. This is why it’s important to look for products that are certified “Glyphosate Residue-Free” by The Detox Project. Every product that is certified “Glyphosate Residue-Free” is tested 3x or more annually for glyphosate at an independent lab and found to be non-detect with a minimum detection level of 10 parts per billion (ppb) or less.
How a Food Product or Ingredient is Certified Glyphosate Residue Free
Here’s the process by which a product or ingredients is certified Glyphosate Residue-Free from the Detox Project:
- A representative sample of the Product or Ingredient must be collected and sent to an agreed third-party laboratory for analysis. In accordance with Program sampling requirements products must be submitted three (3) times or more a year and increase from that number depending on the number of product lots produced. If there are less than three (3) lots produced of a specific product per year then only one sample from each lot will have to be tested.
- The sample must be laboratory tested by a qualified third-party laboratory (if accepted) in accordance with the Program testing requirements (using gold standard liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods); and
- Test results must show that the product contains no detected glyphosate residue down to the limits of detection (LOD) based on government-accepted limit-of-detection protocols for food products – usually 0.01 parts per million (ppm) and always below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s and other government’s Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs).
Detox Project Publishes Consumer Study on Bread, Oats & Barley, Legumes, & Protein Powder in 2022
The Detox Project, which certifies food products as “Glyphosate Residue Free“, also releases research on glyphosate in the food supply like the one they did in 2022 The Poison in Our Daily Bread on some of the most popular foods families purchase every day: bread, oats & barley, legumes, protein powder, snacks, & bars. For this study, they collected several products, mostly from local grocery stores, and then from Amazon, and sent them all off to an EPA-certified laboratory to check for traces of the active ingredient in Roundup Weedkiller, glyphosate. They found the following from their sampling:
- CONVENTIONAL FOODS: 23 out of 37 products contained glyphosate ranging from 20 ppb to 1,150 ppb
- NON-GMO FOODS: 18 out of 26 products contained glyphosate ranging from 12 ppb to 1,040 ppb
- ORGANIC FOODS: 5 out of 23 products contained glyphosate ranging from 13 ppb to 54 ppb
According to the Detox Project, pre-harvest desiccation could be the reason why glyphosate is found in such high amounts in healthy foods. What is pre-harvest desiccation? This is when glyphosate is sprayed on crops in the late season just before they are due to be harvested. The extra spraying of glyphosate works to dry out the crops in the field early and thus it shortens the time they are in the field. This saves time, money, and resources for the farmer and food companies, which is why it’s done. But what cost do consumers pay for early crop drying? Glyphosate has staying power and persists in the food and can be found in higher levels because of this practice.
As for organic food products, it’s significantly less likely to find glyphosate residue, however, it is happening. Henry Rowlands from the Detox Project surmises it’s because of contamination in the supply chain or drift from a nearby field where glyphosate is sprayed. Here’s a list of all the products tested and the results.
Mamavation & Detox Project Publish Consumer Study on Pea Protein in 2019
In 2019, The Detox Project partnered with Mamavation to do testing of pea protein for glyphosate. Some of the organic pea protein brands’ products came back with higher levels of glyphosate than the conventional brands. This was very problematic because glyphosate is prohibited in the certified organic standards, meaning farmers are not allowed to spray glyphosate on their fields and manufacturers are not allowed to “swap” conventional crops for organic crops.
But these issues have been known for a couple of years already. The American organic grain trade was infiltrated by eastern European cartels in 2017, who took advantage of the USDA’s lax organic enforcement policies. According to a report produced by watchdog organization Cornucopia, the USDA fell victim to the European Union clamping down on organic inspections. This shifted the weight of fraudulent organic shipments from former Soviet Bloc countries including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Romania, and Russia to the United States and they passed inspections. Organic corn, soybeans, and other commodities were part of the shipments. Most of these crops likely went to feeding organic animals, however, they also contaminated some of our dinner plates in processed foods. Could this be part of the reason why some organic brands are testing positive for glyphosate? Possibly. Millions of pounds of shipments of contaminated organic food is something the USDA needs to do something about.
USDA organic Orgain was one of the brands found to have the highest level of glyphosate, but later the following year, they reformulated when they swapped to a new manufacturer. Mamavation then tested them again and they were found to have no detectable glyphosate.
Sample of Brands That Have Glyphosate Free Certification
We reached out to a few brands that have Glyphosate Residue-Free Certification from the Detox Project to hear about their experiences with the certification. We want to bring you some thoughts from Jovial Foods, Red Belly Honey, & Pasturebird.
- When we first learned about The Detox Project we fell in love with their mission, which encourages transparency in the food and beverage industry. Concerns about glyphosate in food have been a hot topic in the United States recently, and we feel that we owed it to consumers to provide as much transparency as possible – even going beyond just organic certifications. Transparently bringing inherently good products crafted in best old-world Italian traditions is what we’re all about! And that’s why we are extremely proud to be the first and still only pasta and tomato brand in the US market to be Certified Glyphosate Residue Free. Mamavation shares a similar mission, helping consumers find non-toxic food without GMOs or toxic pesticides, and we are so excited to partner with them for the first-ever Big Glyphosate Residue Free Giveaway this month! — Jovial Foods
- The certification is very important to me personally and my brand Red Belly Honey for many reasons but first and foremost because it means we’re helping and not hurting the bee population which is essential for our food supply. Second, everything we eat can impact our health—knowing our product is pesticide-free tells our customers we care about what they’re putting into their bodies. We have a motto around here…if it has to do with helping people feel better and bees living longer—it has to do with Red Belly Honey. —Joline Rivera, Founder, Red Belly Honey (Use discount code “MAMAVATION10” for 10% off the product.)
- The Glyphosate Residue Free label provides consumers with an unbiased, lab-based verification that their food is free of glyphosate. We’re excited to partner with Mamavation and The Detox Project to bring the integrity and transparency that modern consumers expect. — Paul Grieve, Founder of Pasturebird (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products.)
Big Glyphosate Free Giveaway on Feb. 7th- Feb. 14th
Mamavation is hosting a giveaway on Mamavation.com and on Instagram. You have the ability to enter both giveaways if you desire. Here on Mamavation.com, there will be 2 winners. On Instagram, there is 1 additional winner. The value of all three giveaways is worth about $4,000 in prizes: (2) $1,300+ winners on Mamavation.com & (1) $1,300+ winner on Instagram.
To enter this giveaway (on Mamavation.com) where we draw 2 winners, scroll down to the widget below where there are 24 different ways you can enter and win. Entries will be accepted from Feb.7th to Feb. 14th. You must be 18 years old or older. Winners will be drawn at random and announced that same week. You must be living in the continental United States to win because of the limitations of some brands donating prizes.
If you would like to enter the additional giveaway on Instagram, click here.
Here are the brands and products offered in this giveaway:
- Red Belly Honey : 1-Red Belly Honey Jar (225 gram) $79.49 value, 1-Red Belly Honey Snaps (12 pack) $32.49 value, 2-Rbel Bee Honey Gummies (made with Red Belly Honey) $20.00 value. (Total value $150+) (**Use discount code “MAMAVATION10” for 10% off the product when purchasing in case you don’t win.)
- Pasturebird: Family pack of chicken. (Use discount code “MAMAVATION” for 10% off products in case you don’t win.)
- Jovial Foods: A cassava pasta sampler pack- 1 each of 5 SKUs of grain-free pasta. (Value $29.99)(Available on Amazon here)
- White Leaf Provisions: 3 boxes of biodynamic baby food (Value $50) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Organifi: 1 canister of Green Juice and 1 canister of Gold (Value $70) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Prima: 1 x Night Magic facial oil and 1x Bath Gem (Value $86) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Heavenly Hunks: One gift box full of Heavenly Hunks! (Value $32) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Activist Manuka Honey: ACTIVIST Manuka Surfer’s Honey 50+MGO (Value $24) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Regular Girl: 1 unit RG2100 On the Go packets, 1 unit RGR3000 Regular Girl Restore, 1 unit RGM1000 Regular Girl MultiVitamin, 1 Regular Girl Blender Bottle, 1 Regular Girl Tote Bag (Value $115) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Califia Farms: One case each of our Organic Almondmilk and Organic Oatmilk. (Value $75) (Available on Amazon here.)
- FOND Bone Broth: 4-pack of bone broth (Value $50)
- RISE Brewing Company: Case of vanilla Nitro lattes and Oat milk (Value $55) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Organic by Nature (Purium): Biome Medic 4 Pack (Value $210)
- Kiki Milk: 2 cases of 8oz Kiki Milk (1 case of Original and 1 case of Chocolate) to each winner. (Value $70)
- Wedderspoon: Manuka 16 500, Manuka 16 squeeze, Manuka on the Go, Ginger Drops, Lemon Drops, Honey Drops. (Value $100) (Available on Amazon here.)
- Nuvita CBD: A bottle of Full Spectrum CBD. (Value $87.50)
- Philosopher Foods: Choose from Sprouted almond butters, Regenerative Organic Certified coconut butter and chocolate coconut butter, fermented and dehydrated almonds, and fermented almond brine. (Value $50) (Available on Amazon here.)
I am new to the site and appreciate all the work that goes into the discoveries. I’m getting rid of all the toxicity and embracing clean living. Thank you
Thank you for this fun idea! Hope I win something, lol😆👌 this is really a Kool thing to do for us all. Plus, a great write up, everyone gets to read for free too! Thank you and your wonderful helpers who put this together.
Couldn’t be more proud of everything you are doing for us
Thank you for the wonderful, empowering information, and for the opportunity to enter the contest 🙂
Love mamavation!!
Leah, I think something is wrong with your entry option here. There are no ways listed to enter, and there is this, which I don’t know if it’s yours or an ad. It says:
Sorry,
This page has expired, probably due to disabled cookies or inactivity. Please ensure that cookies are enabled in your browser.
Try opening the URL in a different browser:
https://kingsumo.com//g/pxqcis/big-glyphosate-free-giveaway?e=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mamavation.com%2Ffood%2Fbig-glyphosate-free-givaway.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2uh-xrnT-iwprWSJQtjvOCJI_yrEPNVJtE2BqYSQJYEDyrDD3TnzJZMfU&utm_source=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mamavation.com%2Ffood%2Fbig-glyphosate-free-givaway.html%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2uh-xrnT-iwprWSJQtjvOCJI_yrEPNVJtE2BqYSQJYEDyrDD3TnzJZMfU&utm_campaign=embed