FORT WORTH BEACH, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday promoted new state-backed testing he said found the weed killer glyphosate in several widely sold bread products, the latest in a consumer-testing push led by First Lady Casey DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo under what they call the “Healthy Florida First” initiative.
Click above to watch the full conference.
Speaking at Palm Beach State College, the governor and his wife said Florida’s Department of Health used independent, science-based testing standards to analyze bread for a range of substances, including heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants.
The results can be found at exposingfoodtoxins.com.
Casey DeSantis said the testing found “triple digit glyphosate levels” in several brands, including Nature’s Own Butterbread, Nature’s Own Perfectly Crafted White, Wonder Bread Classic White and Sara Lee Honey Wheat. She said Sara Lee Artesano White and Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse White had “no detectable glyphosate levels.”
Glyphosate is the main ingredient in Roundup, a widely used herbicide. Casey DeSantis argued there is a “major disconnect” between warning labels on glyphosate products and what she said is its presence in everyday food.
Ladapo said glyphosate was the most concerning finding in the bread testing and cited research he said links exposure to a range of potential health effects, including impacts on the gut microbiome and the blood-brain barrier. He said Americans are chronically exposed because glyphosate is used widely on crops such as grains.
The governor said the initiative was an effort to give consumers more information about products sold in stores. He pointed to earlier rounds of testing that the state has publicized on infant formula and candy.
The Department of Health previously tested 24 infant formula products from seven major brands, DeSantis said. He said pesticide levels were generally below levels of concern, but the testing identified elevated levels of certain heavy metals compared with health-based screening benchmarks, including mercury, arsenic and lead.
In the candy testing, DeSantis said Florida analyzed 46 products from 10 companies and detected arsenic in a number of them. Ladapo said some candies showed arsenic levels far higher than those found in bread.
Casey DeSantis, a cancer survivor, tied the effort to broader health goals, saying prevention should be prioritized alongside treatment. She said Florida has invested more than $1 billion in cancer care and research and argued that reducing exposure to chemicals in food could help improve long-term health outcomes.
The initiative’s supporters said the state plans to expand testing to additional categories and encouraged residents to check the website for future results.