Glyphosate: What It Is, and the Honest Picture on the Science

"Glyphosate-free" is a phrase you'll see on more labels every year. Here's what glyphosate actually is, and an honest look at a genuinely contested piece of science, rather than a one-sided scare story.

What glyphosate is

Glyphosate is a herbicide, first introduced in the 1970s, and it's now one of the most widely used weedkillers in the world. It works by blocking an enzyme plants need to grow, which is why it's popular with farmers and gardeners alike for clearing weeds efficiently.

The science is genuinely split, and it's worth knowing why

In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization) classified glyphosate as "probably carcinogenic to humans", based on the evidence available at the time. Europe's own food safety and chemicals regulators, EFSA and ECHA, reviewed the evidence separately and reached a different conclusion: that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a cancer risk at real-world exposure levels. On the strength of that review, the EU renewed glyphosate's approval in 2023 for a further ten years, to December 2033, with some new restrictions on how and when it can be used. Both assessments are genuine, peer-reviewed scientific positions, they simply disagree, which is a fair thing to know if you're deciding how you feel about it.

Why some people choose to avoid it anyway

Given that genuine disagreement between reputable bodies, it's entirely reasonable for someone to apply their own precautionary judgement and prefer to reduce their exposure where they easily can, even if regulators currently consider it approved for use. That's a personal risk preference, not something we'd tell you is right or wrong.

Where this leaves our own products

If it matters to you, the entire Wedderspoon range we stock, honey, apple cider vinegar, and snap packs alike, is glyphosate-free. It's a genuine option for anyone who'd rather apply their own precautionary judgement here, without us needing to overstate the underlying science to make the case for it.

Sources: International Agency for Research on Cancer (2015); European Food Safety Authority and European Chemicals Agency glyphosate renewal assessment (2023). This article is general information, not medical or regulatory advice.