Complaint against Bayer after the discovery of glyphosate in honey

The Beekeeping Union of the Aisne, which brings together 200 beekeepers, mostly amateurs, filed a complaint on 7 June, national day of beekeepers, against Bayer – who has just bought Monsanto and whose headquarters in France is in Lyon – after glyphosate has been detected in the honey of one of their members

A first in France

"It's a good thing for me but also for all the other beekeepers who live on that. Something must be done, many beehives are falling " Sylvere Obry, a beekeeper near Laon, a non-cereal growing area (rapeseed, beet, sunflower, alfalfa) reacted. It is thanks to this former agricultural worker indeed that the alert was given, because it sells a part of its harvest to the family group Michaud Apiculteurs, the biggest actor of the honey in France, with its mark Honeymoon. 19659005] Family Michaud Apiculteurs, who badyzes all the honeys delivered to him, had in fact refused three of his honey barrels called "all flowers", ie 900 kg after having detected there traces of the herbicide at a rate higher than 10 ppb (parts per billion) (1). Phytosanitary product the most used in France, it is considered since March 2015 as " probable carcinogen for humans (group 2A) " according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under of the World Health Organization (WHO) and based in Lyon

Five questions to understand the debate on glyphosate

These officials indicate that "exogenous substances, including glyphosate", but also antibiotics or bee feeding syrups are regularly detected in honey. On the previous harvest, the glyphosate contamination rate was 12% among batches supplied to the group in France and seven beekeepers had to resume their deliveries, according to Vincent Michaud, CEO of the group.

Premonitory Indices

In September 2017, as Europe debated the reregistration of glyphosate / Roundup, the Generation Future Association published a study that reported commercially available cereals and legumes ( muesli, lentils, beans …) contained traces of glyphosate. But the badociation had not complained.

" Finding residues of glyphosate in bee honey means, no doubt, that there is everywhere believes François Veillerette, director of Future generations. Because this herbicide, the most used in France, should only be used to weed the so-called intercrop plants, secondary plants sown just to ensure a plant cover preventing erosion, but not on plants field crops such as wheat, corn or beet.

Hence the question: how is glyphosate found in plants that normally have not been directly treated by this herbicide? Other questions also come to mind: is contamination accidental or common? What is the extent of this contamination? What are the consequences for the health of consumers, both in the short and long term?

A new study warns about the dangerousness of glyphosate

This complaint is likely to spill oil near citizens

Since a beekeeper has decided to lodge a complaint, could consumers not lodge a complaint against the manufacturer (s) as there are dozens of products containing glyphosate?

"I am delighted that we are taking this matter very seriously and tackling the problem of honey in France. It concerns the health of bees, but also that of men. To my knowledge, this is a first " reacts on his side the lawyer of the beekeeping syndicate, Me Emmanuel Ludot, of the Bar of Reims. " No other European country seems to have taken such action ," says François Veillerette

The investigation, which is still in its infancy, does not specifically target the Bayer group. The public prosecutor's office is also in contact with the Pole de Santé Publique of the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Marseille on this case.

The health risk of glyphosate remains controversial

Denis Sergent