IF BEER AND WINE ARE POISONED, WHAT’S NEXT?

IF BEER AND WINE ARE POISONED, WHAT’S NEXT?

Stop the presses! Another case of the poisonous chemical glyphosate has been reported by a consumer protection group. You will remember that I raised the alarm that the deadly chemical had been found in disposable baby diapers in France recently. Since most of my blog followers are not actively in the infant raising phase of their lives, it did not create a sizeable concern. But the latest finding should catch your attention. 

A new report by the public-interest advocacy group U.S. PIRG reveals that tests of five wines and 15 beers, including organic ones, found traces of the controversial weed killer glyphosate in 19 out of the 20. They include brands like Coors Light, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Corona, Heineken, Guinness, Stella Artois and Samuel Adams. Now that, is reason for concern. 

Glyphosate, best known as an ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, is a probable human carcinogen, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization. “The levels of glyphosate we found are not necessarily dangerous, but we are still concerned given the potential health risks,” U.S. PIRG said.

The 2018 Sutter Home merlot was the wine with the highest concentration of glyphosate at 51.4 parts per billion, while the American beer with the largest trace was Coors Light with 31.1 ppb. When I read parts per billion, I tend not to get overly excited, as one part in a billion is a pretty microscopic amount. Then I wonder, if they test for toxins at this minute level, there must be some relevance to testing at that rate. That means I should be concerned. Beer and wine makers probably scoff at these concentration levels but they obviously have a vested interest in discrediting the information.

Then I start thinking of ALL of the different possible poisons, contaminants, chemicals, additives, preservatives and colouring agents that are introduced into our food products both intentionally and naturally. Glyphosate is not the only one. If you read the contents on any food label you may encounter such ingredients as potassium sorbate, tetrazine, lipaze, sodium aginate, scorbic acid, or remains of jimmyhoffa! We consume thousands of foreign substances or compounds when we eat any processed food. If there are thousands of different additives that may only be present in a few parts per million, when you total them all, we might soon be approaching a cumulate level of great concern. Do we really know?

As you read this stimulating issue over your morning coffee and breakfast, don’t read the content labels on the milk, coffee, marmalade, butter or pancake mix until you have finished eating. You may lose your appetite when you encounter all of the polysyllabic elements that are present in your food!