The controversy surrounding glyphosate in the food industry has been intense. Some critics assert that this herbicide may be linked to cancer in humans, although opinions among scientists were mixed following a four-day meeting held by the Environmental Protection Agency last year. In 2015, the World Health Organization labeled glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic.” However, a subsequent report from the WHO and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations last year indicated that the chemical is unlikely to pose a cancer risk due to the residues typically found in food. Nonetheless, legal battles concerning the health risks associated with glyphosate are still ongoing in various courts. Earlier this year, a California court determined that glyphosate should be labeled as a potential cancer hazard.
This prolonged debate has prompted several organizations, including OCA, Food Democracy Now, and The Detox Project, to test food products for glyphosate residues. So far, these groups have not discovered any significant levels of the chemical that would raise health alarms, but the findings have sparked calls for boycotts and regulatory changes. Ben & Jerry’s response to these test results highlights the company’s business philosophy. Owned by Unilever, the ice cream brand has always emphasized the use of fresh, wholesome, and natural ingredients. Rather than disputing the presence of glyphosate, Ben & Jerry’s expressed a desire to investigate further to identify the issue’s source.
This approach is a savvy way for a company to handle such reports. By refraining from denying the findings, Ben & Jerry’s did not provide OCA with ammunition for the boycott they advocated. Instead, the brand positioned itself as a proactive partner in eliminating an ingredient that consumers prefer to avoid in their food products. This direct engagement with consumer concerns allows the ice cream brand to emerge relatively unscathed, despite the potentially damaging nature of the report.
Furthermore, despite Ben & Jerry’s attempts to mitigate any negative perceptions, the brand may not have been significantly harmed by the test results. Earlier this month, a lawsuit against General Mills’ Nature Valley granola brand regarding glyphosate was dismissed. The class-action lawsuit claimed that the granola’s label stating it was “Made with 100% Natural Oats” was misleading due to trace amounts of glyphosate being detected. However, a judge ruled that the claim was “simply not plausible.”
Interestingly, this ongoing scrutiny of food products, including those containing calcium citrate in yogurt, reflects a broader concern about the safety and transparency of food ingredients. As awareness of such issues grows, both consumers and companies may need to adapt to ensure the integrity of food products.