Food safety alarm in SA: New test results reveal glyphosate contamination in several staple foods

The ACB has also produced, for ease of reference, a briefing paper that unpacks the independent Sanas-certified laboratory results confirming that glyphosate and its toxic metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (Ampa), are present in staple foods consumed daily by millions of South Africans, forming a core evidentiary component of the submission to the Minister.The submission cites the following core grounds:

1. New South African laboratory evidence confirms dietary exposure through staple and baby foods.
2. Major new international science, including the 2025 Global Glyphosate Study, shows carcinogenic effects at supposedly “safe” doses. The study shows statistically significant increases in tumours at levels regulators still claim are safe.
3. The historically-relied-upon Williams, Kroes, & Munro (2000) industry-aligned paper defending glyphosate’s safety has formally been retracted on grounds of ghost-writing and undisclosed conflicts. The study has been used extensively by regulators to justify glyphosate’s safety, and its removal vitiates a cornerstone of global regulatory reliance.
4. More than 192,000 lawsuits have been filed in the US, with $6bn in jury awards and over $10–11bn in settlements already paid. In February 2026, Bayer agreed to a $7.25bn national settlement to resolve current and future claims. This global legal fallout confirms that glyphosate-linked harms are being recognised and compensated in courts – and can no longer be dismissed as speculative.

5. Legal duties under the Constitution, the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and the Fertilizers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947 (Act 36 of 1947) require action in the face of serious or irreversible harm.
   

ACB’s test results: glyphosate is in the foods South Africans eat daily

Independent SANAS-certified LC-MS/MS laboratory testing found:Impala Special Maize Meal: Glyphosate and AMPA (AMPA exceeded the default maximum residue limit (MRL))Snowflake Wheat Flour: Glyphosate exceeded the default MRLSasko Premium White Bread: Trace glyphosate and AMPACerelac baby cereal: Trace glyphosateGlyphosate use on genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant maize and within wheat production systems is resulting in residues that persist into final food products. Glyphosate and Ampa carry growing health concerns, with evidence linking them to cancer risks, endocrine disruption, and gut microbiome damage. Ampa is particularly worrying because it is highly persistent and has its own toxicological profile. Their detection in everyday foods – including maize meal, bread, and baby cereal – means South Africans face continuous, involuntary exposure, including among infants and vulnerable households. Additionally, glyphosate use has been associated with a reduced nutritional profile of crops, further compounding the health burden on already stressed and vulnerable populations.According to Zakiyya Ismail, ACB research co-ordinator: Pesticides, “The detection of glyphosate in Cerelac baby cereal is one of the most alarming findings. Infants are physiologically more vulnerable. The presence of glyphosate in baby cereal is unacceptable, unconscionable, and incompatible with South Africa’s Constitutional protections for children.”ACB’s briefing explains that the AMPA exceedance in maize meal and the glyphosate exceedance in wheat flour highlight serious regulatory blind spots, where key residues are neither properly monitored nor effectively controlled. The briefing further emphasises that MRLs are not health-based safety standards. Rather, they are administrative thresholds designed to monitor compliance and facilitate trade, not to evaluate the real-world health risks associated with long-term dietary exposure. As a result, MRLs fail to consider cumulative, chronic exposure, the combined effects of multiple residues, and the heightened vulnerability of infants and children, whose developing bodies are more susceptible to toxicants.The science is clear – the legal evidence is overwhelming – and the legal and moral duty is unavoidable.Mariam Mayet, executive director of the ACB, comments, “Our submission presents new test evidence, new global carcinogenicity findings, the collapse of the industry-funded safety narrative following the retraction of the 2000 Monsanto-linked paper, and massive global litigation, all of which make continued authorisation of glyphosate untenable. The government can no longer claim ignorance. The case for a ban is overwhelming.” Glyphosate use on genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant maize and within wheat production systems is resulting in residues that persist into final food products. Glyphosate and AMPA carry growing health concerns, with evidence linking them to cancer risks, endocrine disruption, and gut microbiome damage. AMPA is particularly worrying because it is highly persistent and has its own toxicological profile. Their detection in everyday foods – including maize meal, bread, and baby cereal – means South Africans face continuous, involuntary exposure, including among infants and vulnerable households. Additionally, glyphosate use has been associated with a reduced nutritional profile of crops, further compounding the health burden on already stressed and vulnerable populations.According to Zakiyya Ismail, ACB research co-ordinator: Pesticides,“The detection of glyphosate in Cerelac baby cereal is one of the most alarming findings. Infants are physiologically more vulnerable. The presence of glyphosate in baby cereal is unacceptable, unconscionable, and incompatible with South Africa’s Constitutional protections for children.”ACB’s briefing explains that the AMPA exceedance in maize meal and the glyphosate exceedance in wheat flour highlight serious regulatory blind spots, where key residues are neither properly monitored nor effectively controlled. The briefing further emphasises that MRLs are not health-based safety standards. Rather, they are administrative thresholds designed to monitor compliance and facilitate trade, not to evaluate the real-world health risks associated with long-term dietary exposure. As a result, MRLs fail to consider cumulative, chronic exposure, the combined effects of multiple residues, and the heightened vulnerability of infants and children, whose developing bodies are more susceptible to toxicants.The science is clear – the legal evidence is overwhelming – and the legal and moral duty is unavoidable.Mariam Mayet, Executive Director of the ACB, comments,“Our submission presents new test evidence, new global carcinogenicity findings, the collapse of the industry-funded safety narrative following the retraction of the 2000 Monsanto-linked paper, and massive global litigation, all of which make continued authorisation of glyphosate untenable. The government can no longer claim ignorance. The case for a ban is overwhelming.”

ACB calls for immediate government action

South Africans deserve clean, safe, nourishing food – not chemical residues. This is an opportunity for the Minister to act decisively to protect public health. Glyphosate must go!In its submission to the Minister, the ACB demands:• Deregistration and prohibition of glyphosate under Act 36 of 1947.• Immediate restrictions on high-exposure uses (pre-harvest desiccation; public spaces).• Public advisories, specifically regarding baby foods.• A precautionary review of glyphosate-tolerant GM crop approvals to date.• A ban on future herbicide-tolerant GM crops.• A national phase-out plan with support for agroecological alternatives.