People Are So Pissed About Quaker Oats That The Company Is Getting Sued
When you see "100% natural" on a label, what does that really mean? That's the center of a lawsuit against Quaker Oats, which claims that trace levels of a pesticide mean that the oatmeal isn't as all-natural as the company advertises.
The New York Times reports that testing found low levels of a chemical called glyphosate, found in the popular pesticide Roundup, in the oats. To be clear, this level is very low and completely safe to eat, according to federal regulators. But the lawsuit says that Quaker Oats is duping consumers, because the pesticide is not "natural."
Quaker responded to the lawsuit by saying they never purposely added glyphosate during manufacturing, but farmers may have added it before harvesting. The company thoroughly cleans the oats, but tiny trace amounts may have made it through the process. Health officials have labeled glyphosate as a "probable" carcinogen, so advocacy groups have targeted companies that use it in its products.
Tests were only conducted on Quaker Oats Quick 1-Minute products, but the suit, filed in New York and California, also covers Quaker Oats Old-Fashioned and Quaker Steel Cut Oats sweet Almond Mint, according to Fortune. The suit seeks refunds for customers, and also wants Quaker to be forced to either disclose the pesticide or change its farming techniques.
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