Glyphosate Task force: IARC evaluation does not constitute a risk assessment
The Glyphosate Task force have released a statement in relation to the release of the IARC Monograph on Glyphosate:
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Glyphosate is widely used throughout Europe to protect crop yields against competition from invasive weeds. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Evaluations carried out by regulatory authorities across the world for over forty years have all confirmed that glyphosate poses no unacceptable risk to humans, animals or the environment.
“The recent Renewal Assessment Report (RAR) generated in the context of the on-going EU review for the approval of glyphosate found that ‘no evidence of carcinogenity was obtained’ in the studies reviewed.
“The evaluation of limited data on glyphosate by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) does not call these findings into question.
“All studies reviewed by IARC were taken into account in the assessment conducted by the German Authorities on behalf of the European Commission. IARC’s evaluation, however, only reviewed a limited selection of available data.
“It is therefore important to put IARC’s conclusion about glyphosate into perspective. IARC’s evaluation cannot be directly compared with reviews conducted by regulatory agencies which assess the effects of active substances in the context of real life exposure scenarios.
“In the interests of placing IARC’s conclusions in the appropriate context, the GTF wishes to highlight the clarification provided by IARC1 that the Monograph Programme does not constitute a risk assessment evaluation.”
ABOUT THE IARC MONOGRAPH
The remit of the IARC Monograph Programme (which assesses potential carcinogenic agents) is to identify cancer hazards. Crucially however, its evaluation does not assess the risks associated with actual exposure. This essential element is part of comprehensive risk assessments which are undertaken by official regulatory agencies as part of the approval process for active substances.
The difference between ‘hazard’ and ‘risk’ is often misinterpreted. Without a risk assessment, hazards can be identified but the likelihood (or degree to which) they cause harm cannot be measured.
1 http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/iarcnews/pdf/Monographs-Q&A.pdf
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