Source:  POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/18/19

Companies are increasingly enrolling in a voluntary certification program that provides glyphosate-free labels for their products, as consumers grow more wary of the herbicide and businesses look to cater to their skepticism.

In the absence of labeling requirements, the Detox Project, a private research and certification platform, is stepping in. The company is based in Europe, but its primary market is the U.S.

"USDA organic certification doesn't have a very strict pesticide testing within the actual organic label," said Henry Rowlands, executive director of the Detox Project. "There's more room to grow."

The glyphosate debate: Government regulators including the EPA and Health Canada have not determined that glyphosate poses a health risk, but some consumers are still concerned. A recentstudy linked glyphosate exposure with an increased risk of cancer, and two juries have awarded multimillion-dollar verdicts to plaintiffs who claimed the herbicide was responsible for their cancer.

How it works: The Detox Project requires companies to get their products tested by a lab at least three times a year and provide certification.

— As of last week, 30 brands with a total of 300 products were participating. Another 25 were going through the process, Rowlands said. MegaFood, Foodstirs, Chosen Foods, Wedderspoon, Oatly and Heavenly Organics are among the participating companies.

The European Parliament is trying to push through a law that would develop a new process to approve controversial substances such as glyphosate, POLITICO Europe reported. According to Rowlands, Europe's organic certification already covers glyphosate-free products more than in the U.S.