The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) says the world's most used herbicide is probably carcinogenic to humans, but the Monsanto Company (NASDAQ:MON) has expressed "outrage" at the assessment. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) affiliated IARC recently hosted 17 experts from 11 countries to discuss the carcinogenicity of several organophosphate pesticides, including glyphosate which is contained in the commonly used product Roundup, as well as tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion and diazinon.

In The Lancet Oncology, the IARC Working Group discussed how glyphosate had been detected in the blood and urine of agricultural workers, indicating absorption.

While mentioning there was limited evidence in humans for the cancerous properties of glyphosate, the group mentioned case-control studies of occupational exposure in the U.S., Canada and Sweden showed increased risks for non-Hodgkin lymphoma that persisted after adjustment for other pesticides.

Additionally, they mentioned glyphosate induced a positive trend in the incidence of rare tumor, renal tubule carcinoma, in a study of male CD-1 mice. A second study reported a positive trend for hemangiosarcoma in male mice.

However, Monsanto's chief technology officer Dr. Robb Fraley said the IARC determination resulted from the 'cherry picking' of data, claiming it was a clear example of agenda-driven bias.

"This conclusion is inconsistent with the decades of ongoing comprehensive safety reviews by the leading regulatory authorities around the world that have concluded that all labeled uses of glyphosate are safe for human health," Fraley said.

"Safety is the top priority for every person who works at Monsanto. Glyphosate-based herbicides on the market meet the rigorous standards set by the regulatory and health authorities who work every day to protect human health, and we want our customers and consumers to be assured of these evaluations."

The release highlighted the IARC had no regulatory authority and its decision did not impact glyphosate's label, current registration or use.

"IARC's work is not a study, and it references no new data or studies. Instead, IARC only looked at a limited number of existing studies," Fraley said.

"Respected agencies around the world have looked at the same studies, plus many more, and determined that all labeled uses of glyphosate are safe. IARC’s process is not transparent, its decision is irresponsible, and it has the potential to cause confusion about such an important issue as safety.

"Conclusions about something as important as human safety and health must be based on a non-biased, thorough and rigorous scientific process that adheres to internationally recognized standards."

Photo: Charles O'Rear, USDA, via Wikimedia Commons

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