EPA ‘reviewing’ explosive report on toxic chemical found in Cheerios, Quaker Oats — even as US considers expanding its use
NY Post
The Environmental Protection Agency is considering allowing US farmers to use a controversial chemical found in Cheerios and Quaker Oats — even as the agency said it is “reviewing” an explosive study last week that raised safety alarms, The Post has learned.
Last week, a nonprofit called Environmental Working Group published results of a study that found four out of five Americans tested positive for the little-known chemical chlormequat chloride, which has been linked to reduced fertility, altered fetal growth and delayed puberty, according to the report.
“The EPA is reviewing the study,” the US agency said in a statement to The Post.
The EPA confirmed, however, that it also is weighing whether to allow US farmers to start using chlormequat. To date, the chemical has turned up increasingly in breakfast staples like Cheerios and Quaker Oats mainly because they’re made with oats grown on farms in Canada where chlormequat is allowed, according to industry officials.
Last year, in response to an application submitted by chlormequat manufacturer Taminco, the EPA issued a proposal to allow US farmers to use the chemical. The company says it helps to increase crop yields by making the grains stand upright, making them easier to harvest.
The EPA said it is “currently reviewing public comments” that it began soliciting last April and that it will make a decision in “late 2024”.
