Trump's Herbicide Order Sparks Health Debate Over Chemicals in Common Foods

President Trump signed an executive order this month protecting the national supply of glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, inflaming advocates of the "Make America Healthy Again" movement who want stricter regulations or outright bans.

The chemical is applied to corn, soybeans, and other crops that end up in everyday foods, according to Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and epidemiologist at Boston College. "Glyphosate is a known hazard to public health, and as a pediatrician, it really concerns me to see this chemical coming through in foods like corn that make their way into breakfast cereals," Landrigan said.

Children are the most vulnerable, he says.

The World Health Organization classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen in 2015. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Union's Food Safety Authority have not found a link to cancer.

Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America—a nonprofit that largely supports the administration's health agenda—is pushing for restrictions. "Seeing the science behind glyphosate, pointing to the direction that it should be banned, at least restricted," Honeycutt said.

Experts say people can limit their exposure through diet and home practices. "Very well conducted studies have shown that people who eat a mainly organic diet have 90% lower levels of pesticide chemicals in their bodies," Landrigan said. He also recommends avoiding the herbicide in yards: "I would much rather have a few dandelions or other weeds in my yard than expose my child to a chemical that has the probability of causing cancer."