Are strawberries from Lidl healthier than those from the market? Surprising results of a new study
The Pro-Test Foundation checks the quality of strawberries from various sources, checking them for the content of harmful pesticides. So where can you currently buy the healthiest ones – in markets or in the largest discount stores? The research results are surprising.
There is a common belief that strawberries straight from the farmer, especially from small, local farms, are free of pesticides and healthier. Many farmers assure their customers that their fruit is completely natural. Consumers also trust strawberries from markets, while at the same time approaching fruit from large retail chains with some distance. But is it right?
Pesticides in strawberries from markets
The latest research brings surprising results. Tests conducted for the pesticide content in strawberries compared fruits from various sources: large discount stores, bazaars and directly from farmers. It turns out that strawberries from all these places contained traces of harmful compounds. What may come as a particular surprise to consumers is the fact that local fruit and those from private sellers also contained pesticide residues.
“The strawberries we bought at a Warsaw market contained as many as six different toxic substances. It's a variation of rumba. As we were informed, these strawberries came from the Bronisze stock exchange – a place where many shops and shops in Warsaw and the surrounding area buy vegetables and fruits. Their kilogram cost PLN 10,” we read on the foundation's website.
The study showed that strawberries from this market contain residues of the following pesticides: azoxystrobin, boscalid, difenoconazole, captan, pyraclostrobin and pyrimethanil.
“The laboratory detected only five different harmful compounds in the fruit we bought from a farmer who has been selling strawberries from his crops almost in the center of Warsaw for years directly from his car. We bought strawberries from the farmer for PLN 15/kg. It was also a variation of rumba.”
In this case, Pro-Test researchers detected five types of pesticides: boscalid, fludioxonil, captan, pyraclostrobin and pyrimethanil.
Lidl surprised with the quality of strawberries
The biggest surprise was the results for strawberries from Lidl, where the lowest amount of various harmful chemical compounds was found. Lidl's strawberries contained only three different pesticides, which theoretically makes them the safest choice among the sources tested. The Pro-Test foundation detected the most harmful substances in strawberries from Biedronka.
