In a new opinion, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is proposing to modify the existing maximum residue limits (MRLs) for agricultural chemical chlormequat in oats, as well as in the products of food-producing animals.
Popular oat-based food products often eaten by children may contain unsafe levels of chlormequat, an agricultural chemical associated with negative health effects, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Faced with oat shortages domestically, some food manufacturers have looked to international sources of gluten-free oats with mixed success due to concerns about comingling. One option for obtaining high-quality oats is to source oats that are certified as gluten-free.