Retraction of 2000 Glyphosate Study Renewed Questions About Roundup’s Safety

A widely cited 2000 review that concluded glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, was not a human health risk was retracted last month by the journal Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, reigniting debate over the herbicide’s safety. The journal cited "serious ethical concerns regarding the independence and accountability of the authors," saying the paper relied largely on unpublished studies by Monsanto and that there were indications the authors received financial compensation beyond an acknowledgments note.

Emails made public in litigation showed Monsanto employees helped conceive, collect data for and draft the article; one employee said they hoped the paper would become "'the' reference on Roundup and glyphosate safety." Bayer, which acquired Monsanto in 2018, said the company’s involvement "did not rise to the level of authorship" and was properly disclosed.

The Environmental Protection Agency continues to consider glyphosate safe and said it had not relied solely on the retracted paper and would not rely on it going forward. The agency faces a 2026 deadline to re-examine glyphosate after legal action brought by advocacy groups. Public health experts and advocates reacted strongly.

The director of the Program in Global Public Health at Boston College called the retraction a "seismic, long-awaited correction of the scientific record," and another expert urged the E.P.A. to reopen its decision and impose consequences for alleged harms.

Key Topics

Business, Health, Glyphosate, Roundup, Epa, Monsanto, Bayer