Many UK crops, including wheat, barley, oats, pulses and oilseed rape, are sprayed with glyphosate, a weed killer, just before harvest, leaving residues in everyday foods like bread, cereals and flour. While several European countries are moving to restrict its use over health concerns, the UK still permits it. As organic growers, we believe there’s a better way: choosing organic is the most reliable route to avoid dangerous chemicals and support farming that protects soil, wildlife and family health.
From baby bowls to family meals: why organic matters beyond weaning
When you’re feeding a baby, choosing organic often feels instinctive - you want the purest, simplest start for them. But the benefits don’t stop at the highchair. The same principles of fewer chemicals, more transparency, and farming that works with nature, matter just as much for the foods we eat as adults.
Why chemicals are a concern for families
Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weedkiller (a herbicide and pesticide). Although regulators still permit it, independent research has raised concerns about potential long‑term health effects, including links to cancer risk, hormone disruption, and impacts on gut bacteria. It has been found in everyday environments, from food staples to children’s playgrounds. Professor Michael Antoniou, whose team at King’s College London has led research into glyphosate toxicology, argues that the only assuredly safe dose of a pesticide is zero.
Not only does it affect human health, but it also ripples through the whole ecosystem. Glyphosate and other chemicals reduce insect numbers which has knock‑on effects for many bird and other animal species.
How the UK compares to Europe
Across Europe, many countries have taken steps to restrict or reduce glyphosate use. Some limit pre‑harvest spraying, others have banned it in public spaces, and a few have announced plans to phase it out entirely. The overall direction is one of caution.
The UK has taken a different approach. Regulators continue to approve its use, and pre‑harvest applications remain common because they help farmers meet strict grain specifications set by large millers and food manufacturers. According to the editor of Wicked Leeks, some farmers are"forced to spray their crops with herbicides and pesticides in order to meet the legal mandates of certain food companies (including the baby food manufacturer that required the supplying farmer to administer fungicides to his entire oat crop)."
Glyphosate spraying
Back as far as 2014 a report by the Pesticide Action Network UK, shared that 60% of non-organic bread tested by the UK government contained glyphosate residues. Because the chemical is sprayed on over two‑thirds of UK wheat just before harvest, residues can remain in the grain used for flour and bread, even artisan loaves. So while we think we are being healthy eating wholemeal bread, we may be actually adding toxins to our bodies.
Glyphosate is also extensively used in urban areas, including in parks and playgrounds, and is the main active ingredients in Roundup, widely used in gardens and on paths and drives.
Why big firms push for pre‑harvest spraying
Large millers and industrial bakeries require grain that is:
- low in moisture
- evenly ripe
- high in protein
- free from weed seeds and green material
- consistent in baking performance
Meeting these standards is difficult. Pre‑harvest glyphosate helps conventional farmers dry the crop, even out ripeness, and reduce contamination, making grain more likely to be accepted.
Organic farmers don’t have these shortcuts. Instead they rely on rotation, soil health, and timing.
How organic standards differ
Organic farming takes a fundamentally different approach:
- No chemical weed killers, herbicides, fungicides, pesticides - ever
- No chemical drying out before harvest
- Crops must ripen naturally
- Weed control through rotation and machinery
- Full traceability from field to fork
This is why organic grain is harder to grow, and why it’s worth choosing when you can.
Why this matters for families, not just babies
If you already choose organic for your baby, you’re avoiding synthetic herbicides and pesticides at a stage when their bodies are most vulnerable. But the same logic applies to the foods the rest of the family eats every day.
Cereals, pulses, bread, and flour are among the crops most likely to be treated with glyphosate before harvest in conventional farming. Choosing organic versions of these staples reduces exposure and supports farming systems that protect soil, wildlife, and long‑term food security.
As farmers who’ve lived the realities of growing without chemicals - in sunshine, mud, and everything in between - we can say honestly: organic isn’t always the easiest path, but it is the one that puts nature, health, and transparency first.
References:
Scientist, farmer, and campaigner all call time on glyphosate
Our food and farming system is stuck on a chemical-reliant treadmill and we need it to stop
Pesticides in Your Daily Bread: A consumer guide to pesticides in bread 2014
Herbicide linked to cancer used in children’s playgrounds across UK
It's time to reject glyphosate in bread
What makes organic bread and flour different?
Sprayed Before You Eat It: The UK’s Hidden Use of Glyphosate on Food Crops