Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into major pesticide and food manufacturers over concerns regarding glyphosate chemical residues found in commercial food products.
According to the official press release, Paxton’s office has issued formal Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) — a legal tool used to compel the production of corporate records before filing a lawsuit — to high-profile industry giants, including Bayer and PepsiCo.
Glyphosate is the active primary ingredient in Roundup weed killer and stands as the most widely used agricultural herbicide across the globe. The state’s investigation focuses heavily on a common agricultural practice known as desiccation, where farmers apply herbicides to crops shortly before harvest to promote uniform drying.
According to the OAG’s filings, desiccation accounts for over 90% of the glyphosate residue detected in the commercial food supply, particularly within oat-based products like breakfast cereals, cookies, and granola bars.
While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explicitly prohibits the use of glyphosate as a desiccant on oats grown domestically, Paxton’s office alleges that major food companies routinely utilize regulatory loopholes by sourcing their oats from foreign countries where the practice remains entirely legal.
The state says that this dynamic leaves children between the ages of 1 and 2 years old with the highest dietary exposure to glyphosate of any population segment. The OAG’s investigation intends to determine whether entities have actively violated Texas consumer protection laws by marketing contaminated items as “healthy” or misleading parents regarding product safety.
In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen,” linking it directly to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Subsequent human and animal studies have connected the chemical to endocrine disruption, kidney disease, infertility, and autoimmune disorders.
The OAG cited historical research indicating a dramatic surge in human chemical tracking, noting that more than 70% of American adults currently display detectable traces of glyphosate within their bodies, compared to just 12% recorded in 1993.
In response to the state’s public filing, a spokesperson for Bayer strongly disputed the OAG’s characterization of the chemical. The corporation stated that the Attorney General’s announcement contained a series of inaccurate and misleading claims regarding the safety of glyphosate-based products.
Bayer asserted that consumers should retain full confidence in the safety of the food supply, noting that the EPA utilizes an exceptionally rigorous review process to establish strict pesticide residue tolerances that are safely set at least 100 times below levels shown to cause any negative health effects.
While the company confirmed it will cooperate with the state’s inquiry to clarify the technical facts, Paxton countered that his office will secure absolute justice for Texas families, warning that no corporation is above the law.