Drink UP!

Popular beer and wine brands may contain traces of weed killer, new study finds

Updated Feb 26, 10:24 AM;  

Posted Feb 26, 5:20 AM

 

By Aviva Luttrell | aluttrell@masslive.com

Your favorite beer or wine may contain traces of weed killer, a new study has found.

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group tested five wines and 15 popular beers and found that all but one contained glyphosate — the main ingredient in the weed killer Roundup.

Although the levels of glyphosate were below EPA limits for beverages, the study said that even low levels of the chemical can be problematic.

The wine brands tested included Sutter Home Merlot, Beringer Estates Moscato, Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon, Inkarri Estates Malbec: Certified Organic and Frey Organic Natural White Blend.

Beer brands included Coors Light, Tsingtao Beer, Miller Lite, Budweiser, Corona Extra, Heineken, Guinness Draught, Stella Artois, Stella Artois Cidre, Ace Perry Hard Cider, New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale, Sam Adams New England IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Samuel Smith’s Organic Lager and Peak Beer Organic IPA.

USPIRG said three out of four organic beer and wine products tested contained glyphosate, even though the chemical is not allowed to be used in organic farming.

One brand — Peak Beer — did not contain detectable levels of glyphosate, the study found.

“Our findings suggest that it is very difficult to produce beer or wine without glyphosate contamination, even for organic producers,” USPIRG stated in its study.

The findings concluded that due to glyphosate’s health risks and its “ubiquitous nature” in food, water and alcohol, its use in the U.S. should be banned unless it can be proven safe.