In a new study, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has detected the pesticide chlormequat in four out of five people tested. After allowing the chemical on imported foods, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule in 2023 that would allow chlormequat to be applied to barley, oat, triticale, and wheat crops.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to register new uses for the pesticide chlormequat chloride on food crops. If finalized, the decision would mark the first-ever approval for using chlormequat chloride on U.S. food. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has raised food safety concerns with EPA’s proposal.
Popular oat-based food products often eaten by children may contain unsafe levels of chlormequat, an agricultural chemical associated with negative health effects, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG).