Statement of the GTF on the recent IARC decision concerning glyphosate

BRUSSELS, March 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Evaluations carried out by regulatory authorities across the world for over forty years have all confirmed that glyphosate poses no unacceptable risk to humans, animals or the environment.

The Glyphosate Task Force (GTF) therefore does not accept the recent classification of glyphosate by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a Group 2A carcinogen. The evaluation which has produced this outcome demonstrates serious deficiencies in terms of methodological approach and the overall conclusion is inconsistent with the results of all regulatory reviews concerning glyphosate's safety profile.

It is important to note that the recent Review Assessment Report generated in the context of the on-going EU review for the renewal of approval of glyphosate found that "no evidence of carcinogenity was obtained" in the studies reviewed.

The decision reached by IARC only took into account a selection of publicly available information and was therefore made without the benefit of analysing the extensive data base on glyphosate already evaluated by the regulatory authorities of OECD countries. Most peer reviewed literature and other publicly available information such as the evaluations, opinions and conclusions of regulatory competent authorities were also dismissed by IARC.

The studies not included in the IARC evaluation were generated using validated test methods in laboratories subjected to regular audit procedures, as prescribed by regulatory authorities and are of the highest quality. They provide clear evidence that glyphosate does not have genotoxic or carcinogenic properties.On reviewing all of this available data, both published and unpublished, regulatory authorities have consistently concluded that glyphosate does not cause cancer in either animals or humans.

The EFSA Opinion on the dossier submitted by the Glyphosate Task Force (in the context of the EU review of approval for active substances) along with the Assessment Report, Addendum and EFSA peer review documentation will soon be published by EFSA on its website and therefore will be available for review by IARC.

The Glyphosate Task Force believes that IARC should withdraw the decision and take this information into account before finalising its monograph on glyphosate.

For more information visit: www.glyphosate.eu

Media Contact:
Claire MacCarrick
+3222346860
[email protected]

PRLog ID: www.prlog.org/12436751

SOURCE Glyphosate Task Force