Pasta without pesticides

Why is it so hard to be a consumer?

I had something else planned for today, but in light of the recent controversy surrounding Banza I’m switching gears to pasta. If you missed it, a new report from Moms Across America found that Banza pasta had the highest level of glyphosate this particular lab had ever found in human food (gahh). When I shared the news on Instagram I got a lot of messages of defeat: “Why is it so hard to be a consumer?” “It feels impossible to feed our kids healthy foods.” Honestly, I felt the same way.

WHAT IS GLYPHOSATE?
Just so we’re on the same page, glyphosate is the most commonly used herbicide in US agriculture (and the world). It’s also known as Roundup, and it’s very harmful to human health. Most GMO crops are genetically modified to be glyphosate resistant, meaning that the chemical can be sprayed directly on top of the plant and it will not kill it. Many conventional farms use glyphosate not only as a weed killer but also as a desiccant to speed the drying of crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and beans just before harvest. This means that more of the chemical ends up in our food. In Europe, glyphosate is an approved herbicide but using it as a desiccant has been banned. If we did this in the US it would reduce our glyphosate exposure by 80% (!!!). It also could partially be the reason why Americans generally feel so much better in Europe.

Farmer’s Footprint has a great overview on glyphosate if you want to learn more.

This is not the first time glyphosate was found in a chickpea-based product. In July 2020, a study from the Environmental Working Group found high levels of glyphosate in chickpea-based products like Sabra hummus. Organic hummus and chickpea products had lower levels.

I have bought and served Banza pasta to my family a hundred+ times, and recommended it to others. How did I let this happen? Well, I looked at their website here’s what it says:

While our pasta is Non-GMO Project Verified, it's not certified organic. We invest in nutritious, premium ingredients, while staying true to our mission of making nutritious food accessible to more people. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that their standards are in line with our brand values.

Let this be a reminder: non-GMO does not mean organic. If it’s not organic, it likely has higher levels of pesticides.

Buzzwords like gluten-free and plant-based are everywhere, but they don’t necessarily mean healthier (there was even an article about this in the Washington Post this week). It is suspected that the drastic rise in gluten intolerance can largely be attributed to an intolerance to glyphosate use not the actual gluten. Wheat (the primary dietary source of gluten) is ubiquitously doused in glyphosate if it’s not organic. But, if you are not celiac, you might be better off with an organic gluten-containing product than a non-organic gluten-free product.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
As scary as this is, it’s a good thing that we know. I am so grateful for organizations like Moms Across America for independently testing products because we cannot trust the “brand values” of these food companies and our government isn’t going to do anything to change policy until they start to feel pressure from voters (you!). So here’s what you can do!

Vote with your fork. Do not buy Banza pasta anymore. Here are some safer pasta brands to try:

• Patagonia Provisions Regenerative Organic Pasta: I just discovered this pasta and immediately purchased it. It’s a little expensive but I have never seen a regenerative pasta before. V cool.

• Tolerant: Sadly this company is going out of business but you can still find their organic legume pastas online and in some stores.

• Explore Cuisine: Organic legume-based pastas.

• Sflogini: Organic classic pasta in non-conventional shapes

• Thrive Market: They have their own brand of organic legume pasta.

Also look for glyphosate residue-free certified products and support them to encourage more companies to follow suit.

Donate to organizations like Moms Across America who do independent testing and Farmer’s Footprint, which promotes regenerative farming systems and is working to ban glyphosate.

If you have other thoughts, questions, concerns, please drop them in the comments.