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California to list glyphosate as a possible carcinogen

California’s environmental health agency is proceeding with its plan to list glyphosate as a possible carcinogen.

California officials say glyphosate will be added to California’s Proposition 65, a list of chemicals they have determined could cause cancer. The list represents a warning to consumers, not a ban.

The move comes following a year-long legal battle between the agency and glyphosate manufacturer Monsanto. Monsanto has asked for a stay in the listing pending an appeal with California’s Fifth Appellate District.

Two years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined glyphosate was a probable carcinogen. But other organizations including the U.S. EPA say the herbicide poses low toxicity for humans.

If successful, California would be the first American regulatory body to list glyphosate as a possible carcinogen.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto’s popular Roundup herbicide.