Overview
- The Texas attorney general has issued Civil Investigative Demands to several firms, naming Bayer and PepsiCo among those asked for documents as the office investigates possible legal violations.
- The probe focuses on whether companies misled consumers through marketing or failed to disclose glyphosate contamination, including use of the herbicide as a pre‑harvest desiccant on imported oats.
- Bayer disputed the attorney general’s statements as inaccurate and urged confidence in regulatory tolerances, while PepsiCo did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
- The office pointed to studies saying certain foods marketed to children show elevated glyphosate levels and that toddlers may have higher dietary exposure, which Paxton said raises public health concerns for parents.
- The inquiry builds on a long debate over glyphosate: some research groups and the IARC have raised cancer concerns, regulators such as the EPA maintain approved uses are safe, and prior tests found residues in oat‑based products.