The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has dismissed rumors that tampons sold today contain asbestos or dioxin. But it may have a hard time quelling concerns over a new study finding signifcant levels of glyphosate in these and other cotton products.
Several news sources, including Huffington Post, report that a study by the University of La Plata in Argentina found the active ingredient in Roundup in 85% of cotton balls, tampons and other sanitary products.
Considering the World Health Organization's classification of glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, even at extremely low exposure levels, this is very serious news.
The FDA's website claims that "Before any tampon is marketed in the U.S., FDA reviews its design and materials." However, the FDA doesn't claim that these products - which millions of women insert into their bodies - are tested for pesticides other than dioxin. Even that testing, the FDA admits, is handled and reported by manufacturers.
This news that tampons and other cotton products are contaminated with glyphosate should come as no surprise to anyone, including the FDA, since cotton is one of Monsanto's genetically modified crops known to be routinely doused with Roundup.
Tell the FDA to protect consumer health by banning the use of glyphosate-contaminated cotton in tampons.
To Whom it May Concern:
I am asking the FDA to be more proactive in protecting women from pesticide-contaminated feminine hygiene products.
FDA's website says it is the agency's responsibility to regulate "the safety and effectiveness of medical devices, including tampons."
However, based on additional information the agency provides, it appears FDA relies solely on manufacturers' testing and reports to determine the safety of a product. FDA also seems concerned only with investigating poisons that have been suspected by consumers rather than taking a proactive stand to ensure that all pesticides commonly used as raw materials don't end up in the final product.
Considering the World Health Organization's classification of glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen, and recent reports about the serious health risks at exposure levels far below what was previously considered acceptable, FDA should not have waited on an independent study from Argentina to find out that 85% of tampons contain glyphosate.
Now that this information is available, it's up to the FDA to do something about it. I urge the agency to act quickly to ban the use of glyphosate-contaminated cotton in tampons and all products that fall under the agency's responsibility.
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