The household weedkiller Roundup contains an ingredient that "probably" causes cancer, a World Health Organisation report has found.

But the agricultural chemical company that produces the herbicide has attacked the credibility of the WHO committee that assessed the chemical, accusing it of cherry picking the evidence.

The agricultural chemical company that produces herbicide that kills weeds and is possibly carcinogenic has attacked the credibility of the WHO committee. Credit:Ross Duncan

The WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC] reviewed the existing evidence on pesticides to establish a positive link between non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and glyphosate, which is widely used in agriculture and household herbicides, though it stopped short of naming the chemical a conclusive cause of cancer.

They found there was an increased risk of cancer among people who were exposed to glyphosate through their work, leading the agency to conclude that it was "probably carcinogenic to humans".