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Channel 4’s River Cottage series and widely recognised for their commitment to the environment, promoting ‘conservation grade’ farming where growers must dedicate portions of their land to benefit wildlife.

But Jordans – the leading manufacturer of breakfast cereals and cereal snack bars – is reviewing its farming methods after some of its products were found to contain residues of a controversial herbicide that campaigners say is potentially harmful to human health.

The company has pledged to review its use of glyphosate, a powerful weedkiller, after a pressure group analysed the results of tests carried out by the Government’s official Pesticides Residues Monitoring Programme on bread, bakery products, cereal bars and other foodstuffs.

Safe, pure and wholesome?

According to GM Freeze, 100% of the Jordans cereal bars tested were found to contain glyphosate. The group also says that at least 85% of tested products made by Warburtons – the well known bread company – contained traces of the herbicide.

The Government’s sampling programme is not exhaustive and is designed to provide only a snapshot of residues in a variety of products at a specific time. Still, the figures speak for themselves.

Of 40 Warburtons products sampled, 34 tested positive for glyphosate. These included Warburtons white, brown and wholemeal loaves, and its crumpets. The products were sold in leading supermarkets including Tesco, Morrisons and Asda.

All five samples of Jordans cereal bars contained the herbicide. they included Jordans cranberry and raspberry, crunchy honey and almond, and red berry varieties, purchased in Sainsburys and Tesco.

The testing was carried out in 2012 but the results were only recently published in full.