Strawberries : Sweet, Refreshing, Toxic?

“An environmental organization warns against eating strawberries: they are contaminated with pesticides. The competent authority disagrees.

Sweet, refreshing, poisonous? With slogans like "Better without poison" and "Poisonous temptation in the basket", the Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz (BUND) recently warned against eating strawberries from conventional cultivation. These would have a “high pesticide load”. The environmental organization referred to a study on measured residues of pesticides in strawberries.

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has now made it clear that this is not a cause for concern. According to the current state of knowledge, you can eat these strawberries without hesitation. "In no sample was the legally stipulated maximum residue level exceeded or even approximately reached," says a statement. Strict authorization procedures would apply to all crop protection products. Health risks can therefore be ruled out "with sufficient certainty".

Criticism of multiple burdens

On Monday, the BUND reported on detected residues of pesticides in several strawberry samples. The organization relied on laboratory tests of fruits from different traders.

In 15 of the 19 strawberry samples examined, residues of a total of eight agents against fungal diseases (fungicides) were found.

  The analysis did not contain any information on the observed limit values. The BUND is very concerned about multiple exposures, i.e. the detection of several agents in one sample.

There are indications that different active ingredients increase their toxic effect. The criticism is that the risk assessment does not take this topic sufficiently into account. The BfR gave the all-clear: Even if several active substances can be detected in the strawberry at the same time, this is not a health risk. Because the residues are minimal. All proven active ingredients have been toxicologically evaluated and found to be safe.

Industry is upset

The BUND action was met with resentment among German strawberry farmers. "This week, which is the week with the highest sales for strawberries in Germany, such a report does not come by chance," says Fred Eickhorst, Managing Director of the Association of Asparagus and Berry Growers, in an interview. He describes the action as "polemics". From his point of view, the results of the tests are excellent - and a hymn to German cultivation.

However, the BUND presented them in a distorted way. Other studies, such as the State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL) in Bavaria, would provide similar results. The QS quality assurance system, in which more than 90 percent of German strawberry farmers participate, also carries out residue tests on a regular basis. The excess rate in Germany is only 0.64 percent, says Eickhorst. In an international comparison, this is an outstanding value.

The BUND advises those who want to do without chemical-synthetic agents to grow strawberries themselves or to buy organic goods. But that is sometimes not easy, there are hardly any German organic strawberries. And not without reason, says Eickhorst: "Strawberries in the field are extremely susceptible to rot. Cultivation is not economically viable without effective pesticides.” For years there have been fewer, not more, strawberries from organic cultivation.

Many farmers are basically willing to use fewer pesticides. A legislative package is being discussed at EU level. However, farmers fear significant yield losses, since a reduction in pesticides by half is under discussion.”