Oats have been a staple in many American households and are found in pantries and cabinets in the form of oatmeal cookies or oatmeal porridge. According to US Census and US National Consumer Survey data, about 8.2 million Americans consumed ten or more portions of instant oatmeal breakfast cereal in 2020. A recent study, however, revealed that most oat-based foods sold in the US contain a pesticide linked to animal infertility.
Threat From Food Contamination
A new study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has found chlormequat in four out of five tested Americans. Since this chemical is linked to reproductive and development problems in previous animal studies, the experts suggest it might have the same effect on humans.
Led by EWG toxicologist Alexis Temkin, this study on chlormequat is the first of its kind in the country. The research findings are discussed in the paper "A pilot study of chlormequat in food and urine from adults in the United States from 2017 to 2023."
In this study, the research team collected urine samples from 96 people in the US from 2023. After testing them for chlormequat at a specialized laboratory in the UK, the tU.K.ic chemical was found in 77 them. According to Temkin, it raises alarm about how the pesticide can cause harm without anyone even realizing they have consumed it.
The researchers also found chlormequat in the urine of more people and at higher concentrations in samples collected in 2023 than in earlier years. This suggests that there could be a rise in consumers' exposure to chlormequat.
In 2022 and 2023, EWG tested and discovered chlormequat in various non-organic oat-based products. Meanwhile, organic oat products had little to no toxic chemical detection.
Chlormequat Regulation
Chlormequat, commonly used as chlormequat chloride, is an organic compound used as an agricultural chemical in the US. It was first registered in the country as a plant growth regulator in 1962.
Regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have allowed chlormequat to be used on ornamental plants only, not food crops. Since 2018, however, the agency has permitted its use on imported oats and other foods, raising the allowed amount in 2020. Most oats and oat food products consumed in the US are U.S.rted from Canada.
In 2019, an application was submitted by chlormequat manufacturer Taminco, requesting an experimental use permit (EUP) for chlormequat chloride. In response to this, the EPA, under the administration of the U.S. PresU.S.t Joseph Biden, issued a proposed decision for the first-ever use of chlormequat on oats, barley, wheat, and triticale grown in the US EWG U.S.ses this plan, and the proposed rule has not yet been finalized.
According to Temkin, the federal government is important in ensuring pesticide use is adequately studied, monitored, and regulated. He claims that the EPA continues to avoid its duty to protect children from the potential health damage caused by toxic chemicals in food.
EWG also urges the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration to test foods for the presence of chlormequat and requests the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to include this chemical in its biomonitoring program. The organization also calls for further research on the impacts of chlormequat on human health.
Previous animal studies revealed that chlormequat can damage the reproductive system. It disrupts fetal growth by changing the development of the head and bones and altering key metabolic processes.
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