No More Glyphosate NZ today welcomes the announcement by New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) that glyphosate residue limits for wheat, barley, and oats will remain at 0.1mg/kg — rejecting earlier proposals to raise allowable levels.
In a major step forward, NZFS also confirmed that glyphosate will no longer be permitted for pre-harvest use on these grains when grown for human consumption. This decision follows more than 3,100 public submissions and reflects industry trends away from glyphosate reliance, with growers and millers increasingly contractually bound to deliver grain with little to no residue.
“This is a clear sign that New Zealanders’ voices were heard. Consumers, health advocates, and farmers alike stood up and said: we don’t want higher glyphosate levels in our daily staples,” said Warwick Jones, from No More Glyphosate NZ.
While limits for dry peas will be set at 6mg/kg — in line with export market standards — the decision to hold the line on key cereal crops marks a significant public health win.
However, the group cautions that rules mean little if breaches are ignored. Previous government testing has repeatedly found residues above existing limits with no fines, no recalls, and no public warnings.
“Keeping glyphosate limits low is one thing — enforcing them is another. Regulators must now show they are serious about protecting consumers, not just writing rules that get quietly overlooked when breached,” Jones said.
No More Glyphosate NZ continues to call for independent monitoring of glyphosate residues in New Zealand food products, alongside greater transparency about the full chemical formulations found in glyphosate-based products such as ‘Roundup’.
Further information on glyphosate and the public campaign can be found on the No More Glyphosate NZ website.
Image credit: Melissa Askew
Great news. Now try to replace Folic Acid with actual Folate. So many gluten issues these days.