A Clean Label Project analysis of 77 breakfast cereals found that only four passed every screening for contaminants, while many others contained detectable levels of substances including arsenic, lead, pesticides, herbicides and acrylamide.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
A new analysis of dozens of breakfast cereals sold in the United States found that most contained detectable levels of one or more contaminants, including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and acrylamide, according to findings released by the Clean Label Project.
The organization tested 77 cereal products and reported that only four passed all of its screenings for what it described as “hidden toxins.”
Those four were Arrowhead Mills Puffed Kamut, Lovebird Cinnamon O’s, Love Grown Power Os Original and Three Wishes Cinnamon.
The remaining 73 products showed detectable amounts of at least one substance measured in the testing, according to the reported findings.
The products examined included cereals from major manufacturers, including Kellogg’s and General Mills.
One of the most pronounced differences involved cereals made with rice.
“Rice-based cereals contained 12x the arsenic of the rest of the category on a per serving basis,” the Clean Label Project said in a press release.
Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that can enter food through soil and water, but prolonged exposure to certain forms and amounts can pose health concerns.
Lead was another contaminant identified during the testing, particularly among cereals containing chocolate or cocoa.
According to the results, 12 of the 13 chocolate- or cocoa-based cereals tested contained detectable amounts of lead.
The analysis also found acrylamide in some products. Acrylamide is a chemical that can form when certain carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures and has been classified as a potential carcinogenic concern.
Agricultural chemicals were also detected in a majority of the cereals examined.
Among the herbicides and pesticides identified were chlormequat, methoxyfenozide, acetamiprid and metalaxyl.
Glyphosate was especially concentrated in a small number of products.
“Four of the cereals tested accounted for 81% of all the glyphosate we measured across the entire category,” researchers said.
The findings do not mean every cereal contained every contaminant, nor do they establish that consuming any particular product will necessarily cause harm. The study instead measured the presence and relative concentrations of the substances included in the testing.
The results arrive amid growing scrutiny of the ingredients and chemical exposures associated with the American food supply.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made food quality a central part of the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again agenda.
That effort has included reducing the number of artificial additives used in foods and examining Americans’ exposure to pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals.
The cereal analysis adds another dimension to that debate by focusing not only on intentionally added ingredients but also on contaminants that may enter foods through agriculture, processing or manufacturing.
For consumers, the results showed substantial variation among products, with only four of the 77 cereals tested clearing every category included in the Clean Label Project’s screening.
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