• 27 May 2024

  • general

Grain alcohol for our tinctures — why organic?

We are concerned about pesticides and herbicides and their impact on the health of people and the planet.

That is why we are so passionately organic, and have been for over 40 years. Herbalists use herbs as medicine — so it is important that every ingredient is not only high quality, but safe, promoting health, rather than threatening it. Tinctures contain both herbs and alcohol — so, what is in the alcohol?

When manufacturing our tinctures, we choose a grain alcohol (ethanol made from the fermentation and distillation of wheat), which is 96% proof, gluten free, and importantly, organic. Organic cereal farming uses crop rotation, mulching and under-sowing of cover crops like red clover and rye grass that act as living mulches to nurture soil health and manage weed populations.1 Organic strategies strive for balance — keeping enough weeds to provide habitats that promote biodiversity whilst limiting compromise of crop yield and quality. 

Non-organic farming methods often use glyphosate — a chemical component of the world’s most used herbicide — to control weeds and also desiccate crops before harvest. This is common practice in non-organic farming of cereals in the UK.

Why is glyphosate a concern?

Due to conventional farming practices, trace residues of glyphosate have been found in wheat-based foods,2,3 and more alarmingly, a study conducted in 2013 by Friends of the Earth found traces of glyphosate in the urine samples of 70% participants in the UK.4 Research has explored how glyphosates can be damaging to human health, with the World Health Organisation reviewing ~1000 studies and concluding that glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans” with “strong evidence for genotoxicity”.5 

Glyphosate is just one of a myriad of chemicals used in farming that are the subject of continually emerging research for their acute and chronic effects on human health. Of the other ingredients found in glyphosate-based herbicides, some have even shown to increase glyphosate bioavailability and accumulation, potentiating its toxic and endocrine effects.6

With mounting evidence of the deleterious effects of prolific herbicide use in agriculture, both on the soil, biodiversity and human health, organisations are striving to lobby the government to support farmers to employ more sustainable practices. The Soil Association and Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK are charities that campaign tirelessly to prevent the use of unnecessary, harmful pesticides and publish insightful resources.7,8

What can we do about these harmful chemicals?

PAN UK is calling for:

  • “The immediate withdrawal of glyphosate from sale to the public — some responsible retailers like Waitrose have already stopped selling glyphosate, and others should now follow.
  • An immediate end to the use of glyphosate in public spaces in our towns and cities — find out more about our Pesticide Free campaign.
  • An immediate end to the use of glyphosate for pre-harvest desiccation — it leads to higher levels of glyphosate residues in our food.
  • Rapid phase-out of glyphosate in agriculture and support to help farmers adopt safer approaches to managing weeds.”9

The use of glyphosate is prohibited in organic farming — no system of farming has lower pesticide use.8 So, by choosing organic products you can massively reduce your exposure to these dangerous chemical inputs, as well as supporting biodiversity. When you buy tinctures from us, you can be sure that every ingredient used is organic — so you are supporting health in more ways than one.

References

  1. Hoffman, M. (2019). Weed management the organic way. Rodale Institute. https://rodaleinstitute.org/blog/weed-management-the-organic-way/
  2. Pesticides in our food. Pesticide Action Network UK. (2021) https://www.pan-uk.org/our-food/
  3. UK competent authorities for pesticide residues in food: Annual report for 2022. GOV.UK. (2024). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-competent-authorities-for-pesticide-residues-in-food-annual-report/joint-2022-report-on-the-control-plans-for-pesticide-residues-in-food-in-the-uk
  4. Glyphosate briefings: Reason For Concern. Friends of the Earth Europe. (2020). https://friendsoftheearth.eu/publication/glyphosate-briefings-reason-for-concern/
  5. World Health Organisation. (2015). ARC Monographs Volume 112: evaluation of five organophosphate insecticides and herbicides. International Agency for Research on Cancer. https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/
  6. Richard, S., Moslemi, S., Sipahutar, H., Benachour, N., & Seralini, G. E. (2005). Differential effects of glyphosate and roundup on human placental cells and aromatase. Environmental health perspectives, 113(6), 716–720. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.7728
  7. The problem with pesticides. Soil Association. (n.d.). https://www.soilassociation.org/causes-campaigns/reducing-pesticides/the-pesticide-problem/
  8. Soil Association Organic Standards for Great Britain — Food & Drink. Soil Association. (2023). https://www.soilassociation.org/media/23374/sa-gb-food_drink-standards.pdf
  9. Glyphosate. Pesticide Action Network UK. (2023). https://www.panuk.org/glyphosate/#:~:text=Glyphosate%20is%20found%20as%20a,breast%20milk%20in%20the%20USA.

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