Glyphosate Free Oat Milk

What is glyphosate? 

Glyphosate is a synthetic herbicide and is one of the most widely used in agriculture around the world.

It is a non-selective herbicide, meaning it is designed to kill most plants it comes into contact with.

Does oat milk contain glyphosate?

Oats crops are often treated with herbicides to kill weeds and other competing plants. 

Glyphosate is unfortunately commonly used in the production of oats and subsequently oat milk can contain glyphosate residue. 

The level of residue present is dependent on the timing, method of treatment & weather conditions.

This makes it difficult to determine from a consumer perspective whether a particular oat milk contains glyphosate residue.

The consequences of consuming glyphosate residue is not entirely clear, but it is thought to lead to a number of health issues.

Fear not! This isn't the case for all brands of oat milk! We've compiled the below list of glyphosate free brands.

Glyphosate free oat milk brands in the UK

If you are looking for an oat milk that is glyphosate free, simply opt for one that uses organic oats. 

Oats grown organically cannot be treated with glyphosate or any other synthetic herbicide for that matter.

1. Overherd - we only ever use organic and gluten free oats in our oat milk, 100% glyphosate free!
   
   From £1.37 / litre @ Overherd
   
   
2. Plenish - their organic oat milk is free from glyphosate and uses cold pressed oil. 
   
   From £2 / litre @ Ocado.
   
   
3. Rude Health - produces an organic oat milk which is glyphosate free.
   
   From £2 / litre @ Ocado.
   
   
4. Riverford Organics - on the premium end, Riverford’s oat milk is also organic and glyphosate free.
   
   From £3.15 / litre.

Organic farming practices are much more highly regulated and prevent the use of synthetic herbicides like glyphosate. 

Choosing oat milk made from organic oats is a simple switch you can make to ensure you are not consuming glyphosate.

Is glyphosate bad for you?

Health risks

Several studies have shown negative health impacts associated with consumption of glyphosate residues. 

1. Potential cancer causing - although not unanimous, a WHO agency declared glyphosate “probably carcinogenic”.
2. Endocrine disruption - other studies suggest that glyphosate may affect hormone regulation and reproductive health.

Environmental impacts

The use of non-selective herbicides like glyphosate is also causing widespread damage to the environment.

1. Disrupts soil ecological balance - glyphosate kills microorganisms making the ground less fertile for other wild plants. 
2. Contamination of aquatic systems - glyphosate can run off and contaminate ground and surface water causing harm to aquatic life.  
3. Reduces biodiversity - glyphosate wreaks havoc on the food chain and can lead to the loss of species in the long run. 

How to know if an oat milk uses organic oats?

The first thing you can do is check the packaging, and look for “organic” in the name of the product.

Failing this, check to see if "organic oats" are listed in the ingredients of the oat milk.

If there is no mention of "organic" anywhere then the oats will likely have been sprayed with a herbicide like glyphosate. 

Is it worth avoiding glyphosate?

Studies are still being conducted to fully understand the health impact of glyphosate.

However, common sense suggests it’s probably wise to minimise consumption of a synthetic herbicide designed to kill plants non-selectively.