Some of the bread brands being removed from shelves at Cost U Less on Monday.
PHILIPSBURG--Two major supermarkets in St Maarten have removed several American-branded bread products from their shelves after testing in Florida detected the agricultural weed killer glyphosate in popular brands, some of which are also sold in St Maarten.
The Florida Department of Health tested eight bread varieties from five national brands commonly found in grocery stores and found glyphosate—an agricultural weed killer linked by state health leaders to gut and liver concerns—in six of eight tested bread products. Results reported in parts per billion were Sara Lee – Honey Wheat 191.04 ppb, Nature’s Own – Butter Bread 190.23 ppb, Wonder Bread – Classic White 173.19 ppb, Nature’s Own – Perfectly Crafted White 132.34 ppb, Dave’s Killer Bread – White Done Right 11.85 ppb, Dave’s Killer Bread – 21 Whole Grain 10.38 ppb, while Sara Lee – Artesano White and Pepperidge Farm – Farmhouse Hearty White showed non-detect levels. It could not be ascertained whether a recall for the bread brands were issued.
At least three of the brands - Wonder Bread, Nature’s Own Pefectly Crafted and Sara Lee Honey Wheat - are sold at Cost U Less while Nature’s Own and Dave’s Killer Bread were being sold at Carrefour Market. It could not be ascertained whether these and or other of the affected brands are sold at other supermarkets on the island.
After being contacted by The Daily Herald, Carrefour Market General Manager Thilak M.V. Pillai said after reviewing the brands referenced, “we can confirm that some of them were found on our shelves. As a precautionary measure, I have instructed our managers to remove the products from the shelves for now.”
Cost U Less was also contacted. The manager could not be reached; however, a staffer was later seen removing bread from shelves.
The findings of the study were announced during a press conference in Lake Worth Beach, Florida last week, following independent laboratory testing conducted as part of a Florida-led initiative examining contaminants in everyday foods. Florida State officials said glyphosate was detected in six of eight bread products tested, with some results reaching “triple-digit” levels when measured in parts per billion. All detected levels remain below federal safety thresholds established by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
According to an article published in The Virgin Islands Consortium, Dr. Joseph Ladapo cited research linking glyphosate exposure to disruptions to the gut microbiome, liver inflammation, fatty liver disease, weakening of the blood-brain barrier and possible adverse effects on the nervous system. “This is something that basically doesn't seem to have a safe level of exposure,” Dr. Ladapo was quotes as saying in the article.
First Lady Casey DeSantis was quoted as saying, “It's not meant to be eaten.” She added, “The results from the Florida Department of Health’s analysis of bread testing results show troubling levels of glyphosate. Consumers deserve to know what chemical contaminants are in their food so that they can make informed decisions.”
Officials noted the chemical is the active ingredient in weed control products such as Roundup and is widely used in agriculture. They also addressed concerns about long-term exposure and said additional food categories will be tested in the coming months.
