Originally published May 19 2015
Major oat buyer says no to glyphosate: no more shipments of crops sprayed pre-harvest with deadly herbicide
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) One of Canada's leading manufacturers of conventional and organic whole grain ingredients used in cereals, breads, bars and many other products served around the world has decided to stop accepting oats sprayed with Monsanto's Roundup herbicide (glyphosate) prior to harvest, noting consumer preference as a major contributing factor to this decision.
Grain Millers, Inc., which has been milling oats, wheat, barley and rye into flours, flakes, brans and fibers for more than 20 years, says that oats sprayed pre-harvest with glyphosate simply aren't meeting quality standards. The final product, says the company, just isn't up to par -- and this on top of the fact that the general public doesn't want to consume glyphosate-contaminated foods.
"This communication is to serve as official notification that as of harvest 2015 Grain Millers, Inc. will no longer accept any oats and/or oat products which have been treated with glyphosate," reads an official memorandum issued by Grain Millers, Inc. to its suppliers. "This change is driven by functional performance attributes of finished products manufactured from oats known to have been treated with glyphosate and by customer demand."
Glyphosate-sprayed oats resemble oats damaged by frost - brittle, chalky and poor quality, says company manager
The Western Producer reports that this major decision in the public interest has been in the works for almost three years. Persistent issues with groat quality, combined with growing consumer demand for chemical-free oats, ultimately led Grain Millers, Inc., to stop taking in glyphosate-sprayed oats.
"When mills cut, flake or roll the groat, it is chalky, it's brittle, it breaks apart and the finished product doesn't make spec, in terms of granulation or absorption," stated Terry Tyson, a Grain Millers procurement manager from Yorkton, Saskatchewan, as quoted by The Western Producer.
"The groat integrity is affected much like an early frost affects groat integrity.... (But) frost damage you can see on the groat. You can control it... by rejecting a truckload or carload.... The damage with this issue is somewhat subtler."
Desiccating oats with glyphosate before the harvest also affects beta-glucan levels in the oats, says Grain Millers, Inc. Beta-glucan is a soluble fiber that science has shown helps improve cholesterol levels and cardiovascular health.
"In order to meet those (Heart Healthy) claims, beta glucan levels in the raw oats (has) to be in excess of four percent," added Tyson to The Western Producer. "Other factors can also adversely affect beta glucan levels, but our research demonstrates that premature application of glyphosate can have that effect."
Grain Millers, Inc., has established a specific focus on organic grains, preferring them over conventional grains
Though Grain Millers, Inc., processes both conventional and organic grains used in both food and animal feed, the company has a specific focus on organic grains. It says it's constantly on the lookout for farmers interested in converting their fields to organic and even has a special program set up to help farmers get certified.
And while Grain Millers, Inc., avoided mentioning safety concerns about glyphosate as a factor in its recent decision regarding oats, the company is committed to supplying what the people want and where the market is going -- in this case, towards chemical-free, certified-organic food and feed products free of chemical and biotechnology.
One of Grain Millers' highlighted products is its chemical-free oat fiber, which is produced using a unique, proprietary, chemical-free process to manufacture oat fiber used in bakery products, ready-to-eat cereals, meat extenders and snacks.
"When purchasing Grain Millers, Inc. organically certified products you know that the product hasn't been treated with chemicals, pesticides, or un-natural additives," reads the company website. "All organic products are sourced from organically certified farms, which grow only non-genetically modified crops without the use of pesticides."
Sources:
http://www.producer.com
http://www.producer.com
http://www.grainmillers.com
http://www.grainmillers.com
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