SAFE FOOD MATTERS, BUT NOT TO HEALTH CANADA ?
BUT NOT TO HEALTH CANADA ?
Safe food matters to you and me, but does it matter to Health Canada? We aren’t convinced. Why not? We have been in a David vs. Goliath battle with them since 2017 regarding their regulatory approach to safe food, and have two basic observations. First, in our view, Health Canada hasn’t followed the intent or the letter of the law. Second, the conduct of the regulator has been problematic.
This article provides detail on these two points. With respect to the first point, it explains how on our file Health Canada did not conduct a strong …Read More
safe food matters appeals decision
Safe Food Matters Inc. is appealing the Federal Court judgement that allows the decision of Health Canada to renew glyphosate to stand. The appeal was filed on March 13 at the Federal Court of Appeal.
“We think the wrong legal test was applied in the case, and that the decision-making of Health Canada on the file was not reasonable,” said Mary Lou McDonald, President of Safe Food Matters.
The case goes back to 2017, when Health Canada re-registered glyphosate for use in Canada. Eight groups objected and asked for an independent review panel, and in 2019 Health Canada responded with no. SFM …Read More
Federal Court releases its decision
Safe Food Matters (SFM) has received notice that the Federal Court will not direct that an independent review panel be struck to review glyphosate.
The Court was of the view that SFM needed to “challenge the science relied on by the PMRA in the Evaluations”. We respectfully disagree, and believe that our job was to raise a scientific doubt about the validity of the evaluations Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) conducted. A “valid evaluation” is one that is complete, transparent, current and free from bias and the appearance of conflict of interest.
We believe we did that, by showing that PMRA did …Read More
Federal Court FOLLOW-UP
By Mary Lou McDonald, Safe Food Matters President
Safe Food Matters took action on Health Canada’s review of glyphosate because we believe in the law and our Court system. We think the law is on our side, and we don’t expect we will be disappointed. It was clear to all in attendance that Justice Sandra Simpson took these matters very seriously.
Hon. Simpson has a heavy burden, particularly in the current context where issues about desiccation with glyphosate and dietary exposure are coming under increasing scrutiny. Kellogg’s recently announced they are phasing out use as a “pre-harvest drying agent”, and the short-term …Read More
Court Date & Court Case
Court Date Jan 30 TO
Safe Food Matters has good news, on 2 fronts!
FIRST, we have a court date! It is January 30, 2020, at the Federal Court in Toronto: 180 Queen St. W., starting at 9:30. The public is allowed to attend, so please show up if you are so inclined! We are scheduled for the full day.
Andrea Gonsalves, our fantastic lawyer from Stockwoods LLP, will make her submissions first, then the Attorney General will present. Andrea will then reply. I can’t wait to see her in action! Again, a HUGE shout out to Andrea and Stockwoods for taking on …Read More
Going to Court!
SAFE FOOD MATTERS Going to Court Over Roundup/Glyphosate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, February 12, 2019 – Safe Food Matters Inc. filed an application in federal court yesterday, challenging the re-registration of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup herbicide. In 2017 it filed a notice of objection (“NoO”) to the re-registration decision and asked that an independent review panel be established. Eight NoOs were filed in mid-2017, and all were rejected on January 11, 2019.
“We have no choice but to go to Court on this issue” said Mary Lou McDonald, President of Safe Food Matters (and also a challenger in her own …Read More
To the PMRA – We Object!
On December 17, 2018, Safe Food Matters (along with Friends of the Earth Canada, Prevent Cancer Now and Right On Canada) objected to Health Canada’s re-registration of #glyphosate and called for immediate action by Canada’s pesticide regulator, #PMRA.
See our letter below.
Objecting to Glyphosate Desiccation
Glyphosate is being sprayed on crops to kill them for harvest, and the poison gets right into the still-growing seeds and beans: the food we eat. High and illegal levels in “healthy” foods like chickpeas result from this “desiccation” technique.
Health Canada just renewed the registration for glyphosate for another 15 years, and only tweaked the labels for spraying. It didn’t examine the effects of desiccation, and the tweaks won’t change desiccation exposure. Labels won’t work, aren’t followed, can’t be enforced, and Health Canada’s own law even admits it.
These points were made in a Notice of Objection (“NOO”) filed with Health …Read More
Glyphosate in our Food II: Highest Levels in Legumes & Cereals because of Farming “Dry-Down”
For those concerned about pesticides in our foods, the link between harvesting practices and staggering high levels of glyphosate in common “healthy” cereals and legumes may come as a shock. Glyphosate, the active chemical in Roundup® and other pesticides, is considered to be “probably carcinogenic to humans”[i], a cause of non-hodgkins lymphoma, toxic to aquatic life,[ii] and a cause of milkweed decline.[iii]
High levels of glyphosate are present in many common foods, but so high in cereals and legumes that Canada’sf or importing countries’ legal limits are exceeded, as revealed by data from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and other …Read More
GLYPHOSATE IN OUR FOOD
There is glyphosate in our food, including infant cereal. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in the world.
Tony Mitra, a retired engineer living in Vancouver, asked the CFIA for test data on glyphosate, and they provided it this year. The CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) has been testing the food in Canada for only about 2 years.
Mr. Mitra has found (so far):
Infant cereals are contaminated, except for Nature’s Path Organic and imports from Germany, Poland and Switzerland.
Wheat and its products are contaminated. Bran is extremely high on a relative basis. Organic is better in all wheat cases.
…Read More
