Researchers found four in five Americans have been exposed to the “toxic” pesticide chlormequat, which is used in oat-based foods like Cheerios and Quaker Oats Old Fashioned Oats and can cause fertility problems in animals.

Around 80% of Americans have been exposed to the plant pesticide chlormequat, which causes fertility and growth issues in animals, according to a new study published Thursday…

  • Flying Squid
    2•5 months ago

    It’s not that the animals aren’t suitable to test it on. It’s fine to do preliminary safety tests with animals. The problem is that the media runs with the story before it’s also tested on humans as if reactions in mice will always be the same as reactions in people, when they often are not.

    • @Bell@lemmy.worldOP
      1•5 months ago

      “Hey we’re conducting a study to see if this stuff is fatal or alters your hormones, who wants to be first?”

      • Flying Squid
        1•4 months ago

        Whether or not you find the idea of such a study ethical, it doesn’t make the animal studies any more accurate as to how they affect humans.

        Imagine if we didn’t know whether or not chocolate was safe and tested it out by giving it to dogs.

        Does that illustrate the problem better?