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US military meals are full of toxic herbicides, veterinary drugs and heavy metals, according to new independent testing by non-profit Moms Across America.
This includes meals served in cafeterias and ready-to-eat rations (MREs).
Every year, more than 1.5 billion meals and 37 million MREs are served to active-duty personnel.
The independent testing involved 40 food samples, with 16 coming from military cafeterias and the remaining 24 being MREs. The samples were tested for a wide variety of toxic chemicals.
The results showed that 100% of samples contained harmful pesticide residues. Over 70% of samples contained multiple pesticides—between 2 and 26—with a total of 62 different pesticides detected.
Ninety-five percent of samples contained glyphosate, a ubiquitous herbicide that has been linked to a wide range of chronic diseases and conditions, including cancer, obesity, autism and neuro-degenerative diseases.
Veterinary drugs, including anabolic steroids and other growth-promoting factors, were detected. Some of the drugs detected are banned in the US, providing evidence of contamination from imported meat.
Every sample tested contained the toxic heavy metals arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and aluminum. Some samples of contained arsenic, cadmium and aluminum at levels that were 17,300% higher than the EPA’s drinking-water guidelines.
In response to the results, Charlene Guzman, Strategic Communications and Public Relations lead at the Non-GMO Project, and a former U.S. Department of Agriculture contractor and Army veteran, said, “As a proud veteran of the United States Army, I understand firsthand the extreme physical and mental demands placed on our service members to remain mission-ready. Training, focus, and resilience are essential, and food plays a powerful role in supporting all three.”
She continued: “It’s concerning that many service members are operating within food environments that do not consistently support their health or long-term well-being.
“Limited nutritional guidance and heavy reliance on ultra-processed foods reflect broader challenges within our food system—challenges that affect both military and civilian communities alike.”
The Defender notes US military food standards fall well behind those of its main competitor, China, which introduced stringent new rules over a decade ago.
“The U.S. military seems to be lagging behind in the area of clean and safe food, as in 2014, the Chinese army ordered all military supply stations to only allow the purchase of non-genetically modified organism (GMO) grain and food oil due to health safety concerns over GMOs and their associated pesticides, which have now been shown to be contaminating U.S. military food supplies.”
Zen Honeycutt, founding director of Moms Across America, applauded President Trump for increasing military spending, but urged him to do something about the quality of nutrition being provided to American service personnel.
“As our nation’s Commander in Chief, we call on him to be a true hero by ensuring our global power by providing the safest and healthiest meals of any military in the world. We are calling for American troops to have American food — regeneratively raised, organic meat and non-toxic, organic and nutrient-dense produce.”
