Chlormequat chloride in grains

[Soloist]

I’ve been reading up on this and from what I’m seeing they were found in mostly non-organic products of oat and other grain cereal.

Does anyone know if this growth regulator is approved for organic use and how we approve imported organic or secondary foreign grain added into organic products?

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-024-00643-4#Sec8

[Soloist]

On further reading, this basically is fear mongering. A key thing I missed was that EWG was funding the study and that the listed concentrations in urine were below the safe levels recommended. Also the amount they found in the cereal was again below considered safe levels.
Not that this might still be an issue but at some point you have to be able to eat something.

[Ken]

Your post sparked curiosity in me so I looked it up myself.

First, here is a better digest of the study you referenced that was published in Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41370-024-00643-4.pdf

From the article it appears that Chlormequat is prohibited in the US for food production of any kind, organic farming* or otherwise. And the only usage allowed in the US is for ornamental plants not food plants.

However it is allowed in food production in Canada, the UK, the EU and apparently most of Asia. So trace amounts are logically going to appear in the US food supply to the extent that it is imported from any of those countries, mainly from oats it seems. And the US has set maximum limits for trace amounts of those chemicals in imported foods.

What is the answer? There isn't a good one. Agriculture in the different parts of the globe operates under different sets of regulations. The EU is MORE restrictive than the US in some areas such as supplemental hormones added to food as well as GMO foods. But the EU is obviously LESS strict in other areas such as some pesticides such as Chlormequat.

One solution would be to have worldwide standards for chemicals and the food supply which would mean some sort of one-world government with enforcement powers. Which would be a non-starter for a whole lots of reasons not the least of which is national sovereignty.

Another solution would be to cease international trade in food. Which would also be a non-starter since many countries are dependent on food imports and such a ban would impact the US more severely than most countries since the US is the world's largest food exporter by far.

Individually we can all do our best to buy locally from local producers that we trust. But even that is difficult. Especially for foods that are bulk staples or out of season.

*NOTE: A lot of people seem to confuse the term "organic" in the chemistry sense with "organic" in the food sense. They are not at all the same thing. In chemistry, any chemical that is based on carbon chains is defined as an organic molecule. And organic chemistry is really just the study of carbon compounds. Things like DDT and gasoline are organic compounds even though they are most certainly not organic in the food sense. When it comes to food, the word "organic" really just means food that is produced naturally and without manmade chemicals, even if those manmade chemicals like DDT are actually organic chemicals. DDT is classified as an organochloride, for example. In fact I would venture to guess that nearly all herbicides and pesticides are organic chemicals.

[RZehr]

5’ 9” American man
5’10” European man

Looks like consuming a little bit of plant growth regulator helps people get taller.

[Soloist]

5’ 9” American man
5’10” European man

Looks like consuming a little bit of plant growth regulator helps people get taller.

Where did you get that data? Big tomato?

[RZehr]

5’ 9” American man
5’10” European man

Looks like consuming a little bit of plant growth regulator helps people get taller.

Where did you get that data? Big tomato?

Sort of made it up. But-https://wannabetaller.com/the-average-h ... (167%20cm).

[Soloist]

5’ 9” American man
5’10” European man

Looks like consuming a little bit of plant growth regulator helps people get taller.

Where did you get that data? Big tomato?

Sort of made it up. But-https://wannabetaller.com/the-average-h ... (167%20cm).

Wife: that website seems to lend credence to my suspicion that it’s because Europe has less Latin Americans and I’m not sure how they compare with us on Asian immigrant population (not from Russia). I personally think we have better tacos though, so I will let them keep their trophy.

[Josh]

The last time I had tacos in Europe they were significantly better than the slop served out of various trucks on the side of the road, etc. in America. (In particular the tortillas had been made fresh instead of something out of a bag.)

[Ken]

The last time I had tacos in Europe they were significantly better than the slop served out of various trucks on the side of the road, etc. in America. (In particular the tortillas had been made fresh instead of something out of a bag.)

Do you think that was due to the Chlormequat?

In any event, that's what you get for going to a taco truck in Ohio. You should try one in San Antonio sometime.

[Judas Maccabeus]

You think we are simply detecting this sort of thing because we now have the ability to detect it, where before we did not?

In other words, nothing has changed?