December 18, 2025 (Ottawa) Friends of the Earth is shocked to see the prevalence of glyphosate residues in grain products from major cities in Canada. This comment is made in response to findings in the new report by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) showing the controversial herbicide, glyphosate, is present in 85% of the grain products Canadians consume.

Both domestic and imported products from 11 major cities across Canada were sampled for CFIA’s food testing for pesticide residues in 2021-2.

“Glyphosate is the most widely used pesticide in Canadian agriculture which explains the 85% positive results in testing of grain-based products,” says Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada. “The fact that a known carcinogen is ending up in a staple food found in almost every household is a systemic failure. Consumers shouldn’t have to be chemists just to buy a safe loaf of bread.”

As long ago as 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans. Now, Bayer, the manufacturer of glyphosate-containing Round Up, is lobbying across US States for protection against lawsuits by customers claiming Round Up gave them cancer.

Friends of the Earth Canada and colleagues have called on Canada’s Minister of Health to stop approvals or renewals of any glyphosate-based pest control products until PMRA has reviewed the recent Ramazzini Institute Global Glyphosate Study and updated their glyphosate risk assessment, taking this study into account.

What was tested

CFIA tested for the presence of over 480 pesticides in 2084 samples of domestic and imported grain-based products and vegan products including:

• • • domestic and imported baked goods – bread, bagels, English muffins, cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, pies, scones, waffles, etc.
    • breakfast cereals for adults, children and infants
    • pretzels
    • vegan

For residues of glyphosate and its metabolite, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), a different test methodology was required on 1584 samples of baked goods, breakfast cereals and pretzels; vegan products were excluded from this analysis.

Findings

• • • 62 % of samples had detectable pesticide residues with 94.9% of those samples containing from 1 to 3 pesticide residues per sample.
    • 38% (773 samples) had no detectable pesticide residues.
    • The maximum of 8 pesticide residues per sample occurred in samples of muesli cereal and raisin tea biscuits.
    • Although vegan products were not tested for glyphosate, glyphosate was the pesticide with the highest overall detection rate.

From CFIA’s food testing for pesticide residues in 2021-2

“Despite people eating these food products every day, it’s disturbing that it takes CFIA four years to tell us what’s in our food,” said Ms. Olivastri. “It is well past time for Canada’s pesticide regulator to act to protect Canadians from glyphosate. To protect their families, we urge Canadians to buy organic when they can.”

 

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For further information, contact Beatrice Olivastri at Beatrice <at>foecanada.org

Both domestic and imported products are covered in CFIA’s food testing for pesticide residues in 2021-2 in 11 major cities across Canada.

• • • Atlantic (Halifax and Moncton)
    • Quebec (Montreal and Quebec City)
    • Ontario (Toronto and Ottawa)
    • West (Calgary, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg)

 

Notes to Editors:

About Glyphosate

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide. While most commonly associated with weed control during the growing season, it is frequently used as a desiccant (a drying agent) applied directly to crops like wheat just days before harvest to accelerate the drying process. This practice is a primary driver of high residue levels found in finished bread products.

Health Classifications and Risks

• • • IARC Classification:In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2A).
    • Chronic Exposure:Independent research such as the Ramazzini Institute Global Glyphosate Study on “Carcinogenic effects of long-term exposure from prenatal life to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides in Sprague–Dawley rats” suggests that even low-level chronic exposure to glyphosate may be linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, microbiome imbalances in the gut, and reproductive issues.

Regulatory Context vs. Public Safety

While many detected levels may fall within current government-mandated Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), Friends of the Earth Canada maintains that these “allowable” limits are outdated and do not account for the “cocktail effect” of multiple pesticide exposures or the specific vulnerability of children, who consume higher quantities of grain products per pound of body weight.

About Friends of the Earth Canada

Friends of the Earth Canada is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. For almost 50 years, FOE has campaigned for environmental rights, polluter pays, chemical transparency, and the transition toward a pesticide-free food system. The group is the Canadian member of Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest grassroots environmental group with members in 73 countries.