Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Found To Contain Traces Of Weed Killer Chemical
BURLINGTON, Vt. (CBS) – A chemical used to kill weeds has been found in Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
The Organic Consumers Association says it found glyphosate, the main ingredient in Roundup herbicide, in 10 flavor samples it tested: Peanut Butter Cup, Peanut Butter Cookie, Vanilla (two flavors), Phish Food, The Tonight Dough, Half Baked, Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Americone Dream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Cherry Garcia tested negative for the herbicide.
The amount of chemicals found in the ice cream is still far below dangerous levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency. The New York Times says an adult would have to eat 290,000 servings a day of Ben & Jerry's ice cream to hit the EPA's limit.
Still, the consumer group says there's evidence that there's no "safe" level of glyphosate despite the regulations. It's calling for a boycott of Ben & Jerry's unless they commit to going organic.
Ben & Jerry's tells The Times it is working to move away from genetically modified organisms.