Almost every night before bed, I start my slow cooker with steel-cut oats so they’ll be perfectly ready in the morning. They take less than a minute to prep at night before bed and zero time during the morning rush!
While I love this for breakfast, I always choose Organic steel cut oats to make my oatmeal. Here’s why…
Oats are one of those crops commonly contaminated with Roundup weedkiller (glyphosate). This chemical is known to cause cancer. (1)
Organic oats are not sprayed with Roundup, as it’s prohibited on organic crops. Organic oats can be cross-contaminated, but thankfully, tests have found that organic products are less likely to be contaminated and have far fewer residues than conventional products. (3)
It’s important to know that the Non-GMO label doesn’t mean much on plain oats, because all oats are Non-GMO. Also, the non-GMO label doesn’t mean that pesticides are not used, it only means that the ingredients are not genetically engineered. So, it doesn’t mean the same as organic and many pesticides can be used on non-GMO products, like oats. (2)
It is safest to look for oat products that are certified organic, and ideally, that have been certified by a third-party to be free of glyphosate.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) tested non-GMO oatmeal and found most of it contaminated with Roundup! Quaker Old Fashioned Oats was found to have the most Roundup per sample, with more than 1,000 ppb in two of three samples tested. (3)
Watch this video to see which other brands of oats were contaminated with Roundup weed killer:
View this post on Instagram
Here’s a summary of brands with Roundup detected:
- Quaker Old Fashioned Oats: More than 1,000 ppb in two samples
- Umpqua Oats, Maple Pecan: 220 ppb
- Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats: 300 pbb
- Giant Instant Oats: 760 ppb
- Walmart Great Value Instant Oats: 450 ppb
- Quaker Real Medleys: 608 ppb
- Quaker Steel Cut Oats: 530 ppb
Small amounts of glyphosate (or none) were found on organic brands tested:
- Simple Truth Organic Instant Oatmeal: NONE DETECTED
- 365 Organic Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: NONE DETECTED
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned: 20 ppb
Do you buy any of these brands or know someone who does?
Please share and subscribe to my free email newsletter to get more tips like this sent to your inbox!
Xo,
Vani
P.S. Here are some of my favorite recipes with organic oats. You’ll find more recipes like this in my NEW cookbook, Food Babe Family:
- Perfect Parfait Porridge
- Easy Protein Oatmeal Packs
- Mini Zucchini Banana Muffins (Grind oats in blender to make flour)
What is the dangerous level?
Thank you.
Hi Michael! Great question. EWG says this on their website: “The majority of samples of conventional oat products from EWG’s study exceeded 160ppb, meaning that a single serving of those products would exceed EWG’s health benchmark. As part of a glyphosate risk assessment, the EPA estimated potential highest dietary exposure levels for children and adults. The EPA has calculated that 1-to-2-year-old children are likely to have the highest exposure, at a level twice greater than California’s No Significant Risk Level and 230 times EWG’s health benchmark.”
How about Better!Oats brand ?
Bobs organic still cut oats how about these? You had old fashioned or are they the same??
Pam, we need an answer to this question!
I don’t believe EWG tested the organic version of Bob’s Steel Cut Oats (only the non-organic), so we don’t know. They tested their organic rolled oats, with none detected and trace detected on 2nd sample. You can see all results here: https://www.ewg.org/research/breakfast-dose-roundup
Same question as Kim. I get the Bob’s Red Mill Organic Steel Cut Oats. You mention old fashioned and you mentioned organic steel cut oats. I’m presuming I’m ok. I add almond butter, flax/hemp/chia mix, Ceylon cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. Ikaria honey, and top with blueberries, apples or banana. I also add Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Muesli, so I guess I’ll have to check that out at EWG.
I don’t believe EWG tested the organic version of Bob’s Steel Cut Oats (only the non-organic). You can see all results here: https://www.ewg.org/research/breakfast-dose-roundup
Have you tested the organic oatmeal from Trader Joe’s yet?
Everything you eat, drink, breath is going to have carcinogens in it due to overpopulation.
Even the drinking water has radium in it due to phosphate mining. Especially in the south.
Check out One Degree, they’re a family owned company in Canada. I purchase the steel cut oats & quinoa hemp instant oatmeal, their products are tested frequently & free of glyphosate.