Glyphosate safety article retracted 8 years after Monsanto ghostwriting revealed
2 days ago
- #scientific-integrity
- #glyphosate
- #ghostwriting
- A review article concluding Roundup is safe for humans was retracted after it was revealed Monsanto employees ghostwrote it without being named as coauthors.
- Glyphosate, Roundup's active ingredient, is under safety review by the U.S. EPA, while the WHO's IARC classified it as 'possibly carcinogenic' in 2015.
- The retracted article, published in 2000, was cited 614 times and authored by three scientists, but Monsanto's involvement was not fully disclosed.
- Internal Monsanto emails revealed plans to ghostwrite scientific papers to cut costs, including the 2000 article, raising ethical concerns.
- Despite the ghostwriting revelation, the paper continued to be cited without criticism until scholars formally requested its retraction in 2023.
- The retraction notice cited 'critical issues' undermining the article's integrity, including undisclosed Monsanto contributions and reliance on unpublished Monsanto studies.
- Bayer, which acquired Monsanto, defended the article, stating Monsanto's involvement was acknowledged in the paper's credits.
- Scholars argue the retraction sends a message against fraudulent authorship, though it cannot undo the paper's 25-year influence.
- Commenters debate whether retraction was warranted, with some emphasizing ethical lapses and others questioning if scientific errors were proven.