More than a dozen major food manufacturers have earned an F grade for their lack of progress in reducing pesticides, according to a report.
The nonprofit As You Sow rated 17 makers of popular products like Kraft Mac and Cheese, Green Giant vegetables and Lunchables for their efforts to combat pesticide use in their foods.
The report found that all 17 manufacturers, which included household names such as General Mills, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz, earned a C grade or lower for their efforts to reduce pesticide use, with 10 of them receiving an F.
And neither company has publicly stated policies to protect farm workers or members of communities most at risk of pesticide exposure.
Pesticides are substances designed to kill pests, such as insects, that might otherwise enter crops. Long-term exposure to several of these has been linked to harmful health problems, including asthma, depression, ADHD, and cancer.
Long-term exposure to pesticides has been consistently linked to chronic health problems such as cancer, asthma, anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
The As You Sow report rated each company on 27 risk reduction elements, including transparency to the public about pesticide use, identifying the highest risk chemicals and requiring raw food suppliers to perform pesticide risk assessments.
The data was compiled from a review of publicly available information, including companies’ published reports, press releases, and texts on websites.
Companies received a score from one to 10 and were then assigned a corresponding grade.
As You Sow also compared the findings to its previous reports from 2019 and 2021. The average grade was a D in 2021, which fell to an F this year.
On a scale of one to 10, the companies’ average score was 4.5 points.
General Mills, owner of brands such as Annie’s, Cheerios and Green Giant, took the top spot with a C grade.
General Mills had the second-highest score in the “Pesticide Risk Reduction Strategy” section, behind Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), which makes ingredients such as sweeteners and syrups.
The company publicly declared goals to reduce pesticide use in its supply chains and improved its transparency starting in 2021.
Ten companies received an F, although JM Smucker Company, which makes Folgers coffee, Jif peanut butter and Smucker’s jelly, came in last.
The company did not earn a single point in any category, including pesticide risk reduction, transparency and monitoring of pesticides of high concern.
Neither company prioritized the health and safety of farmworkers who use the chemicals, the report said.
Long-term exposure to pesticides has been consistently linked to chronic health problems such as cancer, asthma, anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
Children and fetuses are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of pesticides.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, exposure to pesticides during pregnancy can lead to an increased risk of birth defects, low birth weight, and stillbirth.
“Exposure in childhood has been linked to attention and learning problems, as well as cancer,” the agency said.
Last year, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that fetuses exposed to four pesticides were more likely to develop retinoblastoma, an eye cancer.
Additionally, a study funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that men, particularly farmers, who were exposed to the herbicide glyphosate had higher oxidative stress biomarkers in their urine.
Oxidative stress damages DNA and is believed to be a key characteristic of carcinogens, substances capable of causing cancer.
