Katrina and Benjamin Necaise initiated legal proceedings against General Mills Inc. in early 2024, filing a class action lawsuit in California. They assert that Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Cheerios, and Oat Crunch Oats N’ Honey Cheerios contain hazardous levels of pesticides, as reported by Top Class Actions.
The plaintiffs allege that independent laboratory examinations detected unsafe concentrations of chlormequat chloride, an agricultural pesticide. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), there are numerous concerns regarding the potential adverse effects of chlormequat chloride on children’s health. Animal studies have indicated that this pesticide can detrimentally affect the reproductive system and impede fetal growth.
As per Top Class Actions, the plaintiffs contended that General Mills Inc. failed to disclose the presence of chlormequat in its Cheerios products, suggesting that had customers been informed about the chemical, some might have refrained from purchasing the cereal. By withholding this crucial information, the lawsuit alleges that General Mills violated California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act.
For those, like myself, who have been consuming Cheerios since childhood, a question arises—why is this only now coming to light? Well, it turns out that chlormequat is not permitted to be sprayed on food crops in the United States. In 2018, the Trump Administration sanctioned a limited amount of the chemical on imported oat products. Subsequently, the permissible level was raised in 2020, as reported by the EWG.
Even in these minimal quantities, the implications of chlormequat are troubling. According to Class Action, the chemical functions as a growth hormone inhibitor in crops, preventing excessive growth to enhance harvesting efficiency. However, the lawsuit asserts that ingesting chlormequat could potentially affect human and animal development, potentially impeding puberty, fertility, and the healthy growth of fetuses, according to Top Class Actions.
