Health Canada dismisses significance of new science, including forest studies, leaving Safe Food Matters to consider further action.
Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has decided to not take any steps regarding the registration of glyphosate, even after the Court ordered it to look at new science.
Safe Food Matters is reviewing PMRA’s decision to do nothing and is considering next steps.
PMRA took the decision, even though it was aware of new science from the Ramazinni institute that shows glyphosate causes cancer, and even though it was aware of risks to peoples who eat forest food from Safe Food Matters’ report that shows high levels of glyphosate arise in berries after forest spraying and that Indigenous peoples (and others) eat these berries.
The PMRA was told by the Federal Court on March 3, 2025, to redetermine the application for renewal of a glyphosate product, Mad Dog Plus, withing 6 months (by August 18). Safe Food Matters and co-applicants, Friends of the Earth Canada, David Suzuki Foundation and Environmental Defence, argued on January 22 that the PMRA was just rubber-stamping renewals of pesticide products without looking at new science, particularly 61 new studies Ecojustice had previously presented to PMRA.
The Mad Dog re-determination decision was sent in an email from Jason Flint, Director General and Chief Registrar of PMRA, on August 8, and consisted of one sentence:
Overall, for the reasons articulated in Table 1, and taking into account global research findings from the additional studies referred to in Table 2, the existing reference values for glyphosate do not need to be revised, and the current risk assessment on file for the active ingredient glyphosate is valid.
The email and the attached tables are here: August 2025 PMRA email Mad Dog Plus decision Table 1 Table 2
Forest Studies
Table 1 included a response to a forest study, “Glyphosate remains in forest plant tissues for a decade or more.” This study was referenced in the Forest Spraying & Forest Food report sent in an Open Letter to the Minister of Health on May 23, 2025, asking for the cancellation of forest spraying. Jason Flint, again, responded to the Open Letter on July 31, 2025, just one week and one day prior to providing his response on the Mad Dog case.
Ramazinni Study
This July 31 response also referenced the Global Glyphosate Study (the Ramazinni study), a highly anticipated study published on June 10 which, we think, shows glyphosate causes cancer. Safe Food Matters sent this study to PMRA on June 25, two weeks after its publication, and almost two months before the August 18, 2025, deadline for responding to new science in the Mad Dog case. All PMRA said in the July 31 response to the Open Letter was it was working with other authorities to figure out a way to review the Ramazinni study. The July 31 email is here: PMRA Reply – Oppose Glyphosate Forestry Spraying.
Next Steps
Safe Food Matters is reviewing the Mad Dog re-determination decision and the response to the Open Letter, and considering strategic options.
