Strawberries are already available in supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Kaufland. But the red fruits are not only delicious, but often also full of pesticides.
Kassel – All of a sudden, summer is here. The sun is shining more and more, the days are getting longer and longer, the weather is getting warmer and the flowers are blooming. Early summer also has delicious fruits such as strawberries in store. Even though the delicious fruits have been available in the supermarket for a long time, you shouldn't buy strawberries in spring yet – only summer is their season.
Whether on the cake, as ice cream or as punch - strawberries enrich the taste of many dishes. Unfortunately, the red fruit is not only full of vitamins, but also often full of pesticides, as an analysis by the German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) showed. If you already put strawberries in your shopping cart in supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl, Rewe, Edeka or Kaufland, you should follow a few tips.
| Organization | Bund für Umweld und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) |
| Investigation | Strawberries |
| Find | Eight different pesticides |
Aldi, Lidl, Rewe: Strawberries contaminated with eight different pesticides in investigation
For the analysis, strawberries from different retailers were tested. In 15 of the 19 samples, residues of total pesticides were detected. Eight agents were found, which are fungicides. These pesticides are used against fungi. According to BUND, some of the fruits had at least two or more active ingredients.
These multiple exposures are "of great concern," BUND pesticide expert Corinna Hölzel is quoted as saying in a statement. "By interacting between pesticides, their toxic effect can be enhanced. So far, these hazards have not been sufficiently taken into account by the risk assessment." According to BUND, for example, substances have been found that are hormonally effective even in small concentrations. A pesticide is even classified as harmful to reproduction. This is not the first time that strawberries have attracted negative attention in this respect – strawberries from Spain only recently failed Ökotest.
Strawberries at Aldi, Lidl and Kaufland: Consumption can be a health hazard
However, it is not only a health hazard from the consumption of strawberries that is criticized by the BUND, but also that the pesticides get into the air, soil and water and could survive there for a long time. Some of the substances found would also be toxic to aquatic organisms and birds.
Among other things, the federal government is calling for "at least halving the use of pesticides by 2030 and a ban on particularly dangerous pesticides," BUND said. The best recommendation is to buy organic strawberries. "If you can't reach for organic strawberries, you should wash the delicate fruits thoroughly in cold, stagnant water right before eating," advises BUND on its website. Proper washing will also improve the taste of the strawberries.
0
Also Read
Heat pump under 10,000 euros: 83-year-old inventor finds ingenious solution
READ
Urgent candy recall at Rewe, Dm and Co.: Internal bleeding is imminent
READ
Who was wrong? Outrage at Rewe checkout makes waves – "I would have left the store"
READ
Lidl customer wonders about "ABS" imprint on blueberry - and is amazed at the explanation
READ
Aldi and Lidl – Discounter brings new private label to stores
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
In a study by BUND, eight different pesticides were found on strawberries from conventional cultivation. (Symbolic image) © Sarah Taylor/Imago
Strawberries at Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and Co.: BfR does not share the assessment
The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), on the other hand, gives the all-clear against the consumption of strawberries. According to the current state of knowledge, a health impairment from the consumption of these strawberries is not to be expected. "In no sample was the legally established maximum residue level (MRL) exceeded," it said in a statement.
The BfR also estimates the risk of multiple exposure to the various pesticides to be lower than that of the BUND. "The simultaneous occurrence of several active substances is also not to be classified as harmful to health in view of the only minimal exhaustion of the respective acute reference dose."
Conventional strawberries often contain pesticides and strawberries often contain worms, but there is a trick to get rid of them. (Kiba/dpa)
