A reader, Betsy Keller, forwarded a message she received because she belongs to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, (formerly the American Dietetic Association), the professional association for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists.
From: “Today’s Dietitian” <todays_dietitian@gvpublishing.com>
Subject: Questions about pesticides and food?
We have answers.
The message originates from Bayer, the German drug company that bought Monsanto a few years ago.
Monsanto invented the herbicide glyphosate, which is used to kill backyard weeds as well as those that occur in fields of GMO corn and soybeans,.
Glyphosate has been linked to cancer risk, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Tens of thousands of people with non-Hodgkin lymphoma are suing Bayer for glyphosate-related damages. The courts have ruled in favor of several such plaintiffs.
Bayer has agreed to pay $10 billion (!) to settle these lawsuits.
In the message to dietitians, Bayer says:
Pesticides enable farmers to produce safe, quality foods at affordable prices.They also help farmers provide an abundance of nutritious, all-year-round foods, which are necessary for human health. Crop quantity and quality rely on crop protection. For example, a U.S. study estimated that without fungicides, yields of most fruit and vegetables would fall by 50-90 percent. Moreover, pesticides decrease exposure to food contaminated with harmful micro-organisms and naturally occurring toxins, preventing food-related illnesses.
Oddly, the Bayer message says not one word about glyphosate, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, or the lawsuits.
Bayer must want dietitians to reassure their clients that pesticides like glyphosate are safe. Bayer must not want dietitians to link glyphosate to cancer risk.
I can’t help thinking that Bayer must have paid Today’s Dietitian to send this message to the AND membership.
I can’t think of any other reason why this association would allow a message like this to be sent to its members.