General Mills To Remove 'Natural' Label From Granola Bars After Glyphosate Lawsuit

General Mills will remove 'Made with 100% Natural Whole Grain Oats' from its Nature Valley granola bar labels, part of a settlement in a lawsuit over glyphosate in cereals and other products. A recent EWG report revealed the presence of glyphosate in Cheerios and Quaker Oats in levels above what EWG considers "an adequate margin of safety" for children, according to the report. The report, which covered 45 different products, also revealed the chemical in some samples of granola bars, snack bars and other cereals. Five of 16 samples of products made with organic oats contained trace levels of the chemical, blamed on residue left in the soil or cross-contamination in production facilities. The suit was filed by Beyond Pesticides, Moms Across America and the Organic Consumers Association.But the glyphosate levels in the organic products are considered safe for consumption, according to EWG's standards. Note that EWG's safety threshold for glyphosate in grains and cereals, measured in parts per billion, is lower than the EPA's; 160 ppb and 30,000 ppb, respectively. The Cheerios tested by EWG had 470 to 530 ppb of glyphosate.The word "natural" doesn't have a set meaning for food labels. This loophole can allow for deceiving marketing tactics that confuse consumers into buying unhealthy — and what some deem unsafe — products.