Canadian scientists have defended their conclusion that glyphosate is safe after the country's health regulator received eight notices of objection.
In April 2017, Health Canada, the country's healthcare department, re-evaluated the world's most popular weedkiller, glyphosate, to be safe and confirmed the product's importance to Canadian farms.
Since then, Health Canada has received eight notices of objection. There have also been concerns raised publicly about the validity of some of the science around glyphosate in what is being referred to as the 'Monsanto Papers'.
However, in a statement, Health Canada said its primary objective in regulating pesticides is to protect Canadians’ health and the environment.
That is why the department reviews all pesticides to make sure that they continue to meet 'modern health and safety standards', it said.
Scientists working for the department reviewed the information provided in these notices, and assessed the validity of any studies in question, to determine whether any of the issues raised would influence the results of the assessment and the associated regulatory decision.
After a scientific review, the department concluded that the concerns raised by the objectors could not be scientifically supported when considering the entire body of relevant data.
The objections raised did not create doubt or concern regarding the scientific basis for the 2017 re-evaluation decision for glyphosate.
In a statement, the department said: “The department’s final decision will stand. No pesticide regulatory authority in the world currently considers glyphosate to be a cancer risk to humans at the levels at which humans are currently exposed.”
