Monsanto Sued About False, Misleading Roundup Ads

Monsanto Sued About False, Misleading Roundup Ads

April 13, 2017

Finally, Monsanto, the giant chemical company which produced Agent Orange and other horrendous environmental and health-damaging herbicides including its ‘star’ GMO-agriculture and harvest staging product Roundup®, has been sued alleging “it actively advertises and promotes its Roundup Products as targeting an enzyme ‘found in plants but not in people or pets’. These claims are false, misleading, and deceptive [1],” according to a draft of the complaint and lawsuit filed in Superior Court in the District of Columbia (Washington, DC).

The lawsuit was filed by plaintiffs Beyond Pesticides (Washington, DC) and Organic Consumers Association (Finland, MN) due to “false and labeling of the company’s flagship product, Roundup herbicide.” [2]

The plaintiffs cite as scientific evidence the 2013 research study published by Samsel and Seneff in the journal Entropy “Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases.” [3] The Abstract for that paper states:

Quote :

Abstract:
Glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup^®, is the most popular herbicide used worldwide. The industry asserts it is minimally toxic to humans, but here we argue otherwise. Residues are found in the main foods of the Western diet, comprised primarily of sugar, corn, soy and wheat. Glyphosate’s inhibition of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes is an overlooked component of its toxicity to mammals. CYP enzymes play crucial roles in biology, one of which is to detoxify xenobiotics. Thus, glyphosate enhances the damaging effects of other food borne chemical residues and environmental toxins. Negative impact on the body is insidious and manifests slowly over time as inflammation damages cellular systems throughout the body. Here, we show how interference with CYP enzymes acts synergistically with disruption of the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids by gut bacteria, as well as impairment in serum sulfate transport. Consequences are most of the diseases and conditions associated with a Western diet, which include gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, autism, infertility, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. We explain the documented effects of glyphosate and its ability to induce disease, and we show that glyphosate is the “textbook example” of exogenous semiotic entropy: the disruption of homeostasis by environmental toxins.   [CJF emphasis]

Plaintiffs allege, “By deceiving consumers about the nature and effects of Roundup, Monsanto is able to sell a greater volume of Roundup, and to command a higher price for Roundup.” [1, Pg.2 (10)]
Furthermore, “Monsanto affirmatively states that the enzyme targeted by glyphosate is not found in people and pets, and fails to disclose to consumers the material information that the enzyme targeted by glyphosate, and the shikimate pathway it’s designed to inhibit, are found in people and pets.” [1, Pg.3 (13)]

Clauses 15, 16 and 17 allege:
[list=15]
[*]Monsanto intended for consumers, including consumers throughout the District of Columbia, to rely on its representations, and reasonable consumers did, in fact, so rely. As a result of its false and misleading labeling, and omission of fact, Monsanto was able to sell Roundup to the general public of the District of Columbia and realize sizeable profits.
[*]Monsanto’s false and misleading representations and omissions violate the District of Columbia Consumer Protection Procedures Act (“DC CPPA”), D.C. Code §§ 28-3901, et seq.
[*]Because Monsanto’s labeling and advertising of Roundup tend to mislead and are materially deceptive about the true nature of the product, Plaintiffs bring this deceptive advertising case on behalf of the general public and seek equitable relief for the sale of Roundup Products in the District of Columbia.
[/list]

In Complaint clause 56, we find something that may not be very surprising, “Monsanto omits the material fact that peer-reviewed scientific research studies have shown that the enzyme targeted by glyphosate in fact is present in human and animal gut bacteria.”



However, the crux of the lawsuit, in my opinion, can be found in clause 58, “Consumers have been deceived into believing that Roundup targets an enzyme found only in plants and not in people or pets.”  That allegation also should be filed against all federal government alphabet agencies involved in the ‘approval’ processes regarding safety and environmental impact studies, if any were done, prior to saturating the globe with an apparent disastrous herbicide, which now has become ubiquitous.
Its main active ingredient, glyphosate, has been found in ground, well and drinking water [6] sources—including human breast milk [6]; as residues in foods [4]; in vaccines [7]; and in 93% of urine samples tested [5].   Regarding human blood cells, erythrocytes (red blood cells that transport oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from human body tissues), this 2014 study about glyphosate’s effects explains “The results clearly show that the changes induced in the erythrocytes can occur only as a result of poisoning with these compounds,” apparently referring to glyphosate’s metabolites and their impurities.

Complaint clause 78 states, “Monsanto misrepresented the nature of Roundup and/or failed to adequately disclose the fact that Roundup’s key ingredient targets an enzyme found in the gut bacteria of people and pets, which was and is false, misleading, and/or likely to deceive reasonable consumers,” an apparent serious health hazard plus chronic-disease-inducing factor for unsuspecting consumers—something not only the legal and court systems in the USA have to address, but federal and state public health agencies everywhere in the world!

According to Seattle Organic Restaurants’ website, here are the top ten environmental and chemical harms that are Monsanto’s legacy:

1. Low calorie sweeteners, aspartame and saccharine
   
2. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)
   
3. DDT
   
4. Roundup
   
5. Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH)
   
6. Genetically Modified Crops (GMOs)
   
7. Dioxin and Agent Orange
   
8. Polystyrene
   
9. Monsanto influence and domination over seeds and foods!
   
10. Monsanto was involved in the Manhattan Project that produced the atom bomb and nuclear weapons of mass destruction!
    

Don’t you think the federal government should be called to account for approving such horrific toxic chemicals being allowed to be sold as part of consumer products?

The plaintiffs BP and OCA request a jury trial.  What do you think a jury of twelve Americans will do?
Will their decision depend upon how much Roundup® they use, since everyone probably thinks it’s as ‘safe’ as water?

How much Roundup® do you use?