A joint committee formed by two of the United Nations' (UN) leading agencies has said a chemical compound used in the herbicide Roundup is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans through exposure in their diets.

In contrast to a report released last year by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a joint panel of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have determined glyphosate is "unlikely to be genotoxic at anticipated dietary exposures".

"Several carcinogenicity studies in mice and rats are available. The Meeting concluded that glyphosate is not carcinogenic in rats but could not exclude the possibility that it is carcinogenic in mice at very high doses," representatives of the two organizations said in a report after a meeting held in Geneva from May 9-13.

"In view of the absence of carcinogenic potential in rodents at human-relevant doses and the absence of genotoxicity by the oral route in mammals, and considering the epidemiological evidence from occupational exposures, the Meeting concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet."

The meeting also concluded the pesticides diazinon and malathion were unlikely to be carcinogenic.

The announcement comes six months after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) determined the pesticide was "unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans”.

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