Strawberries in the test: This is how our sweet fruits are pesticide!

Strawberries in the test: This is how our sweet fruits are pesticide!

The time has come again, the strawberry season has started! In Germany, farmers harvest from the end of April to early May, with June and July being the main time. But what about the quality and the possible stress of these sweet fruits? The Stiftung Warentest has dealt with this question and examined twelve bowls of strawberries from southern European countries for around 900 pesticide spray. The results are promising: nine rehearsals had a very low pesticide pollution, a sample had a low load and no residues were found at all in two of the four tests tested. According to ka-news.de This test is one of the most comprehensive and shows that even cheaper strawberries from discounters such as Aldi or Edeka can contain surprisingly few pesticides.

The prices for strawberries often vary considerably. They are between 5 and 25 euros per kilogram. The cheapest strawberries from Spain were offered for around 5 euros per kilo, while domestic organic products with prices from four to five times as much. Particularly noteworthy is that the organic strawberries from Amico Bio (Alnatura) are 15.96 euros/kg and natural of Penny with 8.95 euros/kg on the more expensive page.

The origin counts

Almost 60 % of the strawberries consumed in Germany come from abroad, mainly from southern European countries. The strawberries offered were tested from different regions of Germany and southern Europe. A test that also concentrated on the question of glyphosate and other not harmless active ingredients. Reports on the systematic exploitation of seasonal workers who are retained again in these season must not go unmentioned. Experts are concerned about the conditions under which these fruits are harvested.

The good news continues to stop: "18 active substances were found in the goods from abroad, even 21 in the German goods. Glyphosate and some other problematic substances could not be detected", confirms the Stiftung Warentest test.de. The manufacturers also emphasize that washing the strawberries can further reduce the pesticide loads. The green should be removed before washing to avoid water intake. It is therefore important for consumers to pay attention to the correct preparation.

commitment to domestic products

Proponents of local strawberries agree that they not only taste more aromatic, but are also fresher because they are harvested. Your environmental balance is also better because you have a lower CO2 footprint. Sometimes self -turning facilities also have cheap prices on offer. And while most strawberries are harvested by seasonal workers, an investigation by EFSA shows that the food brands still take measures to guarantee high quality: "In 2021, the percentage of food samples with inadmissible residues in the EU was only 2.1 %," EFSA.