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Glyphosate in beer BfR sees no cancer risk for consumers
WHO classifies glyphosate as "likely to cause cancer"
Hops, malt, yeast and water: According to the so-called "purity requirement", a beer should be made from these ingredients. However, the popular cold drink is not quite as pure as the commandment foresees. Instead, according to a study by the Munich Environmental Institute many varieties are burdened with the weed killer glyphosate. The institute had tested 14 of the most popular beer brands in Germany and found traces of the pesticide in all samples, according to a recent release. The drug had been classified as "probably carcinogenic" by the World Health Organization (WHO) last year, according to new findings from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Glyphosate is by far the most widely used pesticide in this country, with around 5,400 tons being used nationwide every year. In the private sector, it is used under the product name "Roundup" and serves many homeowners and allotment gardeners as a remedy against weeds.
Residues of the pesticide glyphosate were detected in numerous beers. (Image: Givaga / fotolia.com) Germans drink an average of 107 liters of beer a year
As reported by the Munich Environmental Institute, the measured values were between 0.46 micrograms per liter (μg / l) and 29.74 μg / l, and in extreme cases nearly 300 times the legal limit for drinking water (0.1 μg / l ) exceeded. Although there is no limit for beer, "a substance that is probably carcinogenic [.] Has lost nothing in the beer or in our body," said Sophia Guttenberger from the Environmental Institute. Every German would therefore consume an average of 107 liters of beer per year in this country and thus unconsciously also take up glyphosate - a circumstance that, according to Guttenberger, is incompatible with the image of purity and naturalness that German breweries stand for. "All the beers tested contained the pesticide glyphosate. This threatens the German purity requirement just in his 500th Anniversary year to become a farce, "the biologist continues.
Higher values detected by transverse test
Also, according to the expert Marike Kolossa, a burden on humans "not desirable", as long as it was not finally clarified whether glyphosate could excite cancer in humans. This was announced by the head of the Department of Health-related Environmental Observation in the Federal Environment Agency to the news agency "dpa". The environmental institute had initially used the so-called "Elisa method" for the test, a very sensitive procedure, which however is disputed. The three beers, which were found to have the highest residue levels (from 20 micrograms per liter), had the researchers cross-tested with the far less sensitive LC-MS / MS method, which finally confirmed the results. If higher values were measured by the Elisa method and then confirmed by the LC-MS / MS method, these could be considered proven, Kolossa continued.
Health risk according to BfR only from 1000 liters of beer a day
By contrast, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) does not see any danger for consumers with a glyphosate content of 30 micrograms per liter of beer. According to a preliminary assessment, "glyphosate residues in beer are scientifically plausible and basically to be expected" since glyphosate is an approved active ingredient and accordingly could be present in cereals. Even the highest values of around 30 micrograms per liter are reported to be so low that "the calculated intake in an adult would be more than 1000 times lower than the current tolerable (ADI) or tolerable (ARfD ) daily intake. "In order to absorb a harmful amount of the pesticide, an adult would therefore drink about 1000 liters of beer in one day, according to the BfR. (No)