Your beloved pet Fido and Garfield may be consuming glyphosate, but at levels researchers deem safe.

According to a new study, researchers from Cornell University found that glyphosate is present in cat and dog foods. Glyphosate is notoriously known as the main compound used in Roundup, a weedkiller produced by Monsanto with links to cancer and other fatal illnesses in people. However, the levels of the glyphosate in the cat and dog food were below the levels considered safe for human health.

The study detailing the findings was published in the journal Environmental Pollution. It was supported by the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future’s Academic Venture Fund.

Glyphosate Found in Pet Food Considered Safe for Humans

The authors of the study were Brian Richards, senior research associate in biological and environmental engineering; Anthony Hay, associate professor of microbiology; and Kenneth Simpson, professor of small-animal medicine. The authors visited a pet store and a retail outlet where they bought various cat and dog foods for glyphosate testing.

They purchased 18 different cat and dog foods from reputable brands. One of them was even certified as GMO-free. After analyses, the researchers discovered that all the animal foods had amounts of glyphosate in them. The amount ranged from about 80 to 2,000 micrograms per kilogram.

Since there is no existing data to determine the effects glyphosate has on domestic animals, the scientists chose to use human intake levels. The outcome showed that cats and dogs would be exposed to 0.7 percent of the glyphosate level considered safe for humans.

“While the levels of glyphosate in pet foods surprised us, if a human ate it every day, their glyphosate exposure would still be well below the limits currently deemed safe,” Hay said.

Glyphosate Poses No Immediate Risks to Pets

The study’s authors didn’t determine how glyphosate got to into the animal foods, but they suspect fiber, meaning glyphosate could have gotten into the animal feeds from plants such as corn or wheat. It is believed that crops or plants sprayed with weedkillers containing glyphosate may be the source of the ingredient in the animal foods. And Hay said as much: “Our evidence suggests that it’s coming from plant material.”

They also found the only GMO-free brand in the feeds contained glyphosate. In fact, the level of the compound in this brand is much higher than for the other products. This goes to show that manufacturers of GMO-free products are struggling to keep their products uncontaminated with undesired ingredients.

“Glyphosate is out there in our pets’ food, and while there doesn’t appear to be any immediate risk, there is still uncertainty about the chronic impact of low doses like these,” Hay said. “It’s hard to find a product that doesn’t have glyphosate in it.”