Imagine for a moment that New Zealand’s food regulators woke up tomorrow and decided to test for glyphosate in the national food supply.
Not just a narrow check of a few wheat samples, but a full-scale, independent residue survey across cereals, breads, pulses, produce, and processed snacks—products that land on our shelves and in our children’s lunchboxes every day.
What would they find?
If history and overseas testing are any guide, the answer might be deeply uncomfortable.
A Global Warning: Glyphosate in Breakfast
In 2018, the U.S.-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) conducted independent laboratory tests on popular breakfast foods like Cheerios and Quaker oats. Their findings? Every sample tested from Quaker products and all but two from General Mills contained detectable levels of glyphosate. Many of these exceeded what the EWG considered safe for children’s health.
These weren’t fringe brands. They were everyday staples found in millions of homes.
So, what about here in New Zealand?
We don’t know—because no one’s looking.
The Silence of the Regulators
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) last published glyphosate residue data nearly a decade ago. In their 2015/16 wheat survey, glyphosate was found in 43% of samples—about a third of which exceeded the legal limit of 0.1 mg/kg. That limit, by the way, is now poised to jump to 10 mg/kg if MPI’s 2025 proposal goes ahead. A hundred-fold increase, without a single updated data point to justify it.
That’s not food safety. That’s regulatory theatre.
Other Countries Are Testing—and Acting
Japan has rejected New Zealand honey shipments over glyphosate levels that exceed their allowable limit of 0.01 mg/kg. Taiwan pulled New Zealand oats off shelves. The EU has increasingly tightened its scrutiny. Even private supermarkets in the U.S. have moved to ban glyphosate in store-brand products due to mounting consumer pressure.
So again we ask: if New Zealand actually tested, what would we find?
Would glyphosate show up in the brands we trust? In the cereals our kids eat? In the “healthy” granolas, breads, and snack bars that fill our supermarket aisles?
There’s only one way to find out.
That’s Why We’re Testing
At No More Glyphosate NZ, we’re not waiting for government regulators to act. We’ve already launched our own independent testing—starting with New Zealand-produced honey, where glyphosate has previously triggered export rejections in countries like Japan.
Next up? Wheat and oat-based cereals and breads, some of the most common foods in the Kiwi diet—especially for children. These are also crops where glyphosate is often sprayed just before harvest, raising concerns about residue levels on our plates.
Look for the “Test Series” banners on the website or join our mailing list to stay informed. We’ll be publishing the results—good or bad—for all to see.
Because the public has a right to know what’s in their food. Not ten years ago. Today.
Final Thought: We Deserve Better Than Assumptions
Regulatory agencies exist to protect public health—not to rubber-stamp industry practices or rewrite the rules when data might not look good. New Zealanders deserve transparency, not guesswork. Testing glyphosate residues isn’t radical. It’s responsible.
If MPI won’t do it, we will.
Resources & References
We don’t expect you to take our word for it. The deeper you dig, the more questions emerge—and the more it becomes clear that glyphosate’s presence in our food system is anything but transparent. These sources helped shape our concerns. They might reshape yours, too.
Environmental Working Group – “Roundup for Breakfast Part 2”
Follow-up tests confirmed the widespread presence of glyphosate in common U.S. cereals—especially alarming for products marketed to children.
https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2018/10/roundup-breakfast-part-2-new-tests-weed-killer-found-all-kids
MPI Glyphosate MRL Proposal Summary
MPI is proposing to raise allowable glyphosate levels on dozens of crops without presenting updated domestic residue data.
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/
RNZ – “Thousands submit on proposed increase in glyphosate weedkiller allowed on some crops”
Coverage of public opposition to the MRL increases and MPI’s response.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/561578
Image Source & Attribution
We’re grateful to the talented photographers and designers whose work enhances our content. The feature image on this page is by nuttapongmohock02.
