Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42517087›Full record

ArticleEXCLI journal2026

Retraction of the landmark glyphosate safety publication by Williams, Kroes and Munro (2000) should be reversed.

Christopher J Borgert, Mohammad Abdollahi, Jay M Ansell, Michael Aschner, Christopher A Bates, Sir Colin Berry, Brad Bolon, Peter J Boogaard, Robert A Budinksy, Lyle D Burgoon and 56 more

RetractedErratum issuedAbstract readLetter
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in EXCLI journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It has been retracted, and should not be counted. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

  • Correction · 2026-07-27Error in Text · · continuation of affiliations: Department of Toxicology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany; Livers Journal; Toxicological Sciences Journal; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA; Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA; Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Parts A & B; McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada; Science & Regulatory Affairs, American Cleaning Institute®, Washington, DC, USA; River Bluff Associates, LLC, Bloomington, MN, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA (retired); Environmental Health and Toxicology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA (Prof. emeritus); Synergy Partners R&D Solutions, Chester, NJ, USA; Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Germany; Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Hamburg Medical School, Germany (Prof. emeritus); The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI, USA; University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, University, MS, USA (Prof. emeritus); Critical Reviews in Toxicology journal, Editor-in-Chief (emeritus);
  • Erratum issued
5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

66 authors.

Christopher J BorgertApplied Pharmacology & Toxicology, Inc., Gainesville, FL, USA.
Mohammad AbdollahiMohammad Abdollahi, Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Jay M AnsellJay M. Ansell, Principal, Bellevue Toxicology LLC, Alexandria VA, USA.
Michael AschnerMichael Aschner, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Christopher A BatesChristopher A. Bates, H.B. Fuller, Saint Paul, MN, USA.
Sir Colin BerrySir Colin Berry, Prof. (emeritus) of Pathology, Queen Mary, London, UK.
Brad BolonBrad Bolon, Sr. Advisor to the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Toxicologic Pathology, President and Pathologist, GEMpath, Inc., Longmont, CO, USA.
Peter J BoogaardPeter J. Boogaard, Editor-in-Chief of Critical Reviews in Toxicology, Professor of Environmental Health & Human Biomonitoring, Division of Toxicology - AFSG, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Robert A BudinksyRobert A. Budinsky, (retired) The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI, USA.
Lyle D BurgoonLyle D. Burgoon, Raptor Pharm & Tox, Ltd. Apex, NC, USA.
Gary BurinGary Burin, (retired) Technology Sciences Group, Inc., Vienna, VA, USA.
James S BusJames S. Bus, Exponent, Inc., Wendell, NC, USA.
Harvey ClewellHarvey Clewell, Science to Support Regulatory Activities, Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
Samuel M CohenSamuel M. Cohen, Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Thomas ColnotThomas Colnot, EUROTOX, CiS Toxicology, Osorno, Chile.
Paul S DarbyPaul S. Darby, MD PhD Services, PLLC, Tacoma, WA, USA.
Wolfgang DekantWolfgang Dekant, Prof. (emeritus) of Toxicology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
John DeSessoJohn DeSesso, Exponent, Inc., Alexandria, VA, USA.
Daniel R DietrichDaniel R. Dietrich, Prof. (emeritus) of Toxicology, Department of Human and Environmental Toxicology, University of Konstanz, Germany, Past-President Academy of Toxicological Sciences, Editor-in-Chief of Chemico-Biological Interactions, Computational Toxicology, and the Journal of Toxicology and Regulatory Policy, Konstanz, Germany.
Mirjana DjukicMirjana Djukic, University of Belgrade-Faculty of Pharmacy, Department for Toxicology, Belgrade, Serbia.
Anca Oana DoceaAnca Oana Docea, Department of Toxicology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Craiova, Craiova, Romania.
Jose L DomingoJose L. Domingo, Distinguished Prof. (emeritus) of Toxicology, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, School of Medicine, Reus, Spain.
David L EatonDavid L. Eaton, President, Academy of Toxicological Sciences, Prof. (emeritus) School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology & Toxicology, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Jeffery A EngelhardtJeffery A. Engelhardt, (retired) Vice President of Pathology and Nonclinical Development, Ionis, Carlsbad, CA, USA.
Anne FairbrotherAnne Fairbrother, (retired), Exponent, Inc., Philomath, OR, USA.
Allan FelsotAllan Felsot, Department of Entomology & Environmental Toxicology, Washington State University, Richland, WA, USA.
Penelope A Fenner-CrispPenelope A. Fenner-Crisp, (retired) Environmental Protection Agency, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
Robinan GentryRobinan Gentry, Science to Support Regulatory Activities, Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc., Monroe, LA, USA.
Jay I GoodmanJay I. Goodman, Prof. (emeritus), Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute for Integrative Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Gio B GoriGio B. Gori, Editor-in-Chief (emeritus) of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology(2002 - 2009), The Health Policy Center, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Helmut GreimHelmut Greim, Prof. (emeritus) of Toxicology, Technical University of Munich, Germany.
J S Heslop-HarrisonJ.S. Heslop-Harrison, Genetics and Genome Biology, Institute for Environmental Futures, University of Leicester, UK.
Jan G HengstlerJan G. Hengstler, Department of Toxicology, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.
Hartmut JaeschkeHartmut Jaeschke, Editor-in-Chief of Livers, Associate Editor of Toxicological Sciences, Distinguished Prof. Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
Norbert E KaminskiNorbert E. Kaminski, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Michigan State University East Lansing, MI, USA.
Sam KacewSam Kacew, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Parts A & B, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada.
James KimJames Kim, Sr. Vice President, Science & Regulatory Affairs, American Cleaning Institute®, Washington, DC, USA.
Anthony L KiorpesAnthony L. Kiorpes, Principal, River Bluff Associates, LLC, Bloomington, MN, USA.
Curtis KlaassenCurtis Klaassen, (retired) Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, USA.
James E KlaunigJames E. Klaunig, Prof. (emeritus) of Environmental Health and Toxicology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.
Anne LoccisanoAnne Loccisano, Exponent, Inc., Alexandria, VA, USA.
James S MacDonaldJames S. MacDonald, Founding Partner, Synergy Partners R&D Solutions, Chester, NJ, USA.
Angela MallyAngela Mally, Department of Toxicology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
Hans W J MarquardtHans W. J. Marquardt, Prof. (emeritus) of Toxicology, Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Hamburg Medical School, Germany.
M Sue MartyM. Sue Marty, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI, USA.
John C MatthewsJohn C. Matthews, Prof (emeritus) University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, University, MS, USA.
Roger O McClellanRoger O. McClellan, Editor-in-Chief (emeritus) of Critical Reviews in Toxicology (1987 - 2025); Independent Advisor, Toxicology and Human Health Risk Analysis, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
Robert G MeeksRobert G. Meeks, Shin-Etsu Silicones of North America, Sarasota, Florida, USA.
Glenn C MillnerGlenn C. Millner, Founder and Principal Toxicologist, Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH), LLC, Little Rock, AR, USA.
Michael W ParizaMichael W. Pariza, Prof. (emeritus), Food Science, Director (emeritus), Food Research Institute University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA.
Dennis PaustenbachDennis Paustenbach, Toxicology and Risk Exposure, TRC, Jackson, WY, USA.
Olavi PelkonenOlavi Pelkonen, Prof. (emeritus) of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Oulu, Finland.
David SarvadiDavid Sarvadi, MS, JD, Bonita Springs, FL, USA.
Kai SavolainenKai Savolainen, Editor (emeritus) of Human and Experimental Toxicology (2002-2024), Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
Ted W SimonTed W. Simon, Ted Simon LLC, College of Public Health, University of Georgia, Winston, GA, USA.
Carr J SmithCarr J. Smith, Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, Mobile Alabama, USA.
Keith R SolomonKeith R. Solomon, Prof. (emeritus), School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Stanley M TarkaStanley M. Tarka, Jr., Adjunct Associate Professor, Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Aristidis M TsatsakisAristidis M. Tsatsakis, Center of Toxicology and Science Applications, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece; Universidad Ecotec, Health Sciences Dept., Km. 13.5 Samborondón, EC092302, Ecuador; Sechenov IM First State Medical University, Science Technology Park, Moscow 119991, Russia.
Joyce TsujiJoyce Tsuji, Exponent, Inc., Bellevue, WA, USA.
Nico P E VermeulenNico P. E. Vermeulen, Prof. (emeritus) of Molecular Toxicology, Department of Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Kendall B WallaceKendall B. Wallace, Prof. (emeritus) of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, USA.
Michael WernkeMichael Wernke, Health Sciences Sr. Toxicologist and Pharmacologist, Sea Limited, Columbus, OH, USA.
Jonathan P WilliamsJonathan P. Williams, Assoc. Prof., Department of Statistics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Raphael J WitorschRaphael J. Witorsch, Prof. (emeritus) of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Hiroshi YamazakiHiroshi Yamazaki, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The decision by the co-Editor-in-Chief of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, Prof. Martin van den Berg, to retract the 2000 review article by Williams, Kroes, and Munro has elicited widespread criticism within the scientific community. Issued in late 2025, the retraction decision cites procedural concerns including potential ghostwriting, undisclosed conflicts of interest, and omission of certain unpublished studies, invoking Committee on Publication Ethics guidelines despite lacking evidence of fraud or scientific flaws. This editorial argues that the retraction decision involves editorial overreach and misapplication of the guidelines. The alleged omissions stemmed from proprietary data access limitations that were disclosed in the original paper. Subsequent reviews by several independent expert panels and regulatory authorities with access to all glyphosate data, including the studies cited by the retracting editor, reached similar conclusions. Claims of ghostwriting were previously investigated and found lacking, including a declaration by EFSA as to the clarity of the conflict disclosures. The retraction's timing, reliance on litigation documents, and apparent biases that were not disclosed in the retraction notice raise questions of ideological interference. Absent substantive rebuttals based on scientific merit rather than speculative claims of inappropriate authorship and data access, this retraction decision sets a dangerous precedent for retroactive censorship, potentially chilling beneficial industry-academic collaborations and eroding trust in the integrity of scientific publishing. With the strongest conviction, we assert that retracting a paper without scientific flaws isn't protection-it is censorship. We therefore call for the immediate reversal of this flawed and unjustified retraction to preserve trust in peer-reviewed literature.

Indexed as

COPEeditorial censorshipretractionscientific integrityscientific publishing

Identifiers

PMID42517087
PMCPMC13402740

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.