Monsanto Continues to Feel Pressure From Glyphosate Cases

Monsanto is starting to suffer the consequences of its use of glyphosate in the weed killer Roundup. Not only has the company recently lost a major verdict in a glyphosate lawsuit, news also came out that glyphosate has not only been found in breakfast cereal, but also pet food. And Monsanto’s new owner, Bayer AG, is facing thousands of other glyphosate lawsuits. Here’s a brief look at what Monsanto is having to deal with these days.

The Verdict

In August 2018, a California jury awarded $289 million in damages, including punitive damages, to a man who claimed he developed a form of cancer known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after being exposed to glyphosate. He sued Monsanto, claiming the company failed to warn consumers of the dangers of using products containing the chemical. The judge in the case would later reduce that award. However, the plaintiff will still receive an award of more than $78 million.

Glyphosate Found in Cereal, Pet Food

As if the verdict wasn’t bad enough news for Monsanto, the company took a major public relations hit after studies showed traces of glyphosate appeared in many brands of popular breakfast foods as well as pet food.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit, non-partisan environmental organization based in Washington, D.C., recently tested 45 breakfast food products for glyphosate. According to the EWG, researchers found trace amounts of the chemical in 31 of them. The amounts were higher than what is typically considered by experts to be safe to ingest. Many of the products tested contain granola and oats. The breakfast cereals that were found to contain glyphosate include the well-known Cheerios and the popular children’s staple, Lucky Charms.

In addition, researchers at Cornell University tested 18 dog and cat food brands for glyphosate. All of them tested positive for the chemical. While the amount of glyphosate was smaller than that found in the breakfast foods, it is unclear what effect any amount of the chemical has on pets.

A Major Headache for Bayer

Earlier in 2018, Bayer AG purchased Monsanto for $63 billion. The CEO of Bayer, Werner Baumann, recently said that the company is committed to defending itself in glyphosate lawsuits. However, he said that if the costs of preparing defenses for these cases exceed the costs of reaching settlements, then the company would consider settling with plaintiffs.

Bayer shares have plummeted 25 percent since the California jury delivered their $289 million verdict.

Contact Baron & Budd

Baron & Budd is representing plaintiffs in glyphosate lawsuits. If you or someone close to you received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after exposure to Roundup, please get in touch with us as soon as you can. Contact us online or call 866-223-3424 to discuss your potential legal options.