What’s Really in Your Toddler’s Food? Why White Leaf Tests for Glyphosate

One of the things we know for certain is that when it comes to what we’re feeding our children, ingredients matter. At White Leaf Provisions, we source regenerative and organic produce and grains because we know they’re packed full of nutrients for growing bodies. Just as important, though, is what’s not in our products—most notably, Glyphosate—a toxic pesticide widely used on crops that has been studied and linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, infertility, immune dysfunction and disruption of the microbiome.

Our food system has been shaped by decades of chemical dependence. Even organic farms aren’t immune—chemical residues can linger in the soil or drift in from neighboring operations. One of the most widespread culprits quietly appearing in our food supply—even on products labeled organic—is glyphosate.

That’s why, from day one, we’ve taken a stand: every batch of our food is tested for glyphosate residue. To earn the Glyphosate Residue Free seal from our partners at The Detox Project and The Clean Label Project, products must test below 10 parts per billion (ppb) in their EPA-certified labs.

We’re proud to say we were the first shelf-stable baby food brand in the U.S. to achieve Certified Glyphosate Residue Free status—setting a new standard for what truly clean nutrition should be.Let’s dig into what glyphosate is, why it matters for little bodies, and how White Leaf is raising the bar for transparency in the baby food aisle.

What Is Glyphosate? And How Did It Get In Our Food System?

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide in agriculture (Novotny, 2022). It was originally patented as a chelating agent—meaning it binds to minerals—for cleaning pipes. It was adapted in the 1970’s to kill perennial weeds as an herbicide and later also used as a desiccant–or an agent that helps crops dry prior to harvest. 

Glyphosate was primarily used to kill ‘weeds’ (meaning plants that we’ve decided aren’t desirable in the industrial system) by interrupting a biochemical pathway present in the plant, but also present in bacteria and fungi in the soil (Dellasala and Goldstein, 2018). Its introduction and widespread adoption has also meant that agrochemical companies have developed seeds and crops that are resistant to its use, creating a situation where more and more glyphosate is used. And all of this has depleted the nutrition in our food further (remember how glyphosate binds to minerals?) because it has caused so much damage not just to plants, but to the soil. 

Glyphosate also doesn’t just disappear once it’s sprayed. It persists in soil, seeps into water systems, and affects how nutrients move through plants. Its residue shows up in crops like oats, lentils, wheat, corn, and soy—and it’s been detected in everything from breakfast cereals to formula ingredients (Vicini et al., 2021).

Does Organic Mean Glyphosate-Free?

While organic certification prohibits the use of glyphosate, it doesn’t test for it. Contamination through chemicals drifting from neighboring farms, use of soil with legacy chemical use, and shared equipment during processing can still result in measurable levels of glyphosate in certified organic products.

That’s why third-party testing matters. Without it, there’s no guarantee that a product—organic or not—is truly a glyphosate-free food.

Why Early Life Exposure Is Especially Concerning

Initially, it was thought that glyphosate would not harm humans. Over the last two decades, however, emerging research has painted a different picture.

The first 1,000 days of life—beginning in utero and extending through age two—are considered a critical window for lifelong health. During this time, the brain, liver, gut, and immune system are developing rapidly. The foundation for metabolic health is being laid (Indrio et al., 2022). This is part of why White Leaf Provisions cares so much about providing glyphosate-free foods for your little ones. 

Studies are now linking chronic glyphosate exposure during this developmental window to real health risks later in life. In one of the most important long-term cohort studies on this topic, researchers from the 2025 CHAMACOS study found that children with higher glyphosate and AMPA (what glyphosate breaks down into in the body) levels during childhood showed greater incidence of liver inflammation and metabolic syndrome by young adulthood (Eskenazi et al., 2023). Another recent study, this time in rats, showed that exposure to glyphosate corresponded to higher rates of malignant tumors—carcinogenicity (Panzacchi et al., 2025). This adds to the growing body of evidence that glyphosate has negative impacts on animal—and human—health. 

Other research has flagged glyphosate’s impact on gut health, oxidative stress, and endocrine function. We feel it's vital that we protect the next generation the best that we can with testing not guessing.

Most Organic Baby Food Brands Aren’t Testing

It might be surprising, but there’s no legal requirement for food companies to test for glyphosate—even those selling baby food.

And yet a 2018 report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found glyphosate in nearly all samples of oat-based baby cereals and snack bars tested, including some certified organic options. This wasn’t a one-off. Follow-up testing has shown that glyphosate remains a consistent contaminant, especially in grain- and legume-based ingredients. 

That’s why White Leaf doesn’t stop at organic. It’s simply not enough. Our products are third-party tested for glyphosate and certified by The Detox Project—a globally recognized certification that verifies glyphosate levels and AMPA residue are below the lowest possible limits of detection. 

It’s a distinction that matters, especially for the smallest, most vulnerable eaters among us.

What to Do About Glyphosate in Food

White Leaf’s commitment to clean food goes beyond testing. It starts in the soil.

Rather than relying on chemical inputs like glyphosate, White Leaf sources ingredients from regenerative farms—where cover cropping, composting, crop rotation, and animal integration build fertility naturally. These practices don’t just keep our food free from glyphosate, they are actively working to restore soil health. They support biodiversity,  improve water retention, and draw carbon into the soil.

In many ways, glyphosate isn’t the root of the problem—it’s a symptom of extractive farming. And regenerative agriculture is part of the solution. 

By working with farmers who build soil rather than deplete it, White Leaf helps ensure clean inputs from the ground up. 

Clean Food, Transparent Standards

The glyphosate conversation isn’t just about fear—it’s about information. We believe parents deserve real transparency about what’s in their children’s food.

At White Leaf Provisions, that means:

• No glyphosate in food—tested, verified, certified

• Ingredients grown regeneratively—not just organically

• No shortcuts, no greenwashing—just radical transparency
  
  

We know how hard it is to navigate the grocery aisle, especially when you're trying to do right by your family. That’s why we’re doing the work to raise the bar for what clean food really means.

Explore our full line of glyphosate-free, regeneratively grown baby and toddler foods.