Glyphosate Toxin Turns Up in Wines

Monsanto’s toxic Roundup herbicide glyphosate has been found in all 10 California vintages tested, including organic wines. While glyphosate isn’t sprayed directly onto grapes because it would kill the vines, it’s often used to spray the ground in the vineyard to be absorbed via the roots.

Sometimes, glyphosate drifts from conventional vineyards into nearby organic and biodynamic vineyards. Other times, the toxin remains in the soil after a conventional farm has been converted to organic; the chemical may persist onsite for more than 20 years.

Glyphosate is patented as an antibiotic. Designed to kill bacteria, it harms both soils and human health, and has been cited as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization.