They are an excellent source of vitamins C and B, provide minerals, are low in fat and a powerful antioxidant. Its bright color and sweet flavor make it the queen of the fruit bowl, however, strawberries also have their dark side. They reach the consumer loaded with dirt: up to 22 types of pesticides in one piece of this healthy treat.
This emerges from the study ‘The Dirty Dozen’the annual report that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has been preparing for 15 years, an American environmental organization that analyzes the residues contained in fresh food when it arrives at the market.
According to their study, more than 90% of the samples of strawberries, spinach, apples, or nectarines marketed in the United States contain two or more types of pesticides. A sample of kale, one of the trendy ‘superfoods’ among the ‘foodies’, it can contain up to 18 pesticides.
Not everything is negative. In your list there is a good handful of products that are considered ‘clean’ among which avocado, corn, pineapple or papaya stand out.
In Spain, the latest official data on the presence of pesticide residues in food is from 2015. There is an annual report prepared by Ecologists in Action that launches an alert similar to that of the American study. In this case, the foods with the highest number of pesticides were the tomatoes, peppers and pears.
All this alarm collides head-on with the reiterated recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO) to consume “more than 400 grams of fruits and vegetables a day to improve general health and reduce the risk of certain noncommunicable diseases.
But the WHO itself is one of the international organizations most involved in this fight. It admits the function of these substances to protect crops and control tropical diseases, however it puts on the table the fact that among those allowed, there are pesticides potentially toxic to humans that can cause both acute and chronic health effects, depending on the amount and mode of exposure.
PESTICIDES PERMITTED BY LAW
The question. Are we at risk by eating ‘dirty’ food? “no risk”answers the biochemist bluntly JM Mulet: “There are many catastrophic reports, but the truth is that in Europe we do not have alerts for pesticides and their use is very controlled.”
Mulet refers us to another study published in Denmark in 2018 in which it is emphasized that “a Dane’s exposure to pesticides is the equivalent of drinking a glass of wine every seven years“.
The latest EFSA report (European Union Food Safety Agency) on the content of residues in food indicates that 96.2% of the samples analyzed (81,482) contained pesticides (up to 791 different), but all of them within the limits permitted by law community. Legislation which is reviewed, and in many cases modified, periodically.
The WHO recalls that some of the oldest and cheapest pesticides can remain in the ground for years And the water. Their use in agriculture has been banned in developed countries, but they continue to be used in developing countries.
Within these permitted chemicals there are agrochemicals, phytosanitary products, pesticides… Substances intended to kill insects or weeds that can ruin a harvest, as well as elements for a optimum growth and maturation of the product, even for a better maintenance of this after the harvest.
EFFECTS ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Among the studies that have generated the most controversy, those that point to children and pregnant women due to its greater susceptibility. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns of the effects of prolonged exposure on child development, since their organs are developing.
While a publication of Jorge Chavarroan expert in reproductive medicine at Harvard, suggests that increased consumption of foods high in pesticides may be associated with adverse reproductive consequences. His research associates lower chances of pregnancy and children born alive after infertility treatments with assisted reproductive technologies.
Faced with this tangle of reports and the evident battle between the food industry, environmentalists and scientists from one side or the other when it comes to arguing their risks or harmlessness, it is legitimate for the consumer to seek prevention options.
And here, another great dilemma. Is it safer to opt for organic farming? No, at least, there is no scientific evidence to support that it is healthier than the conventional one.
Most of the studies carried out agree on this. The last one, published last April by Nutrimediaa project of the Scientific Communication of Pompeu Fabra University, maintains that “the effect of consuming organic products on cancer risk and health in general is uncertain”.
We ask Pablo Alonso-Coello, author of the work, on the effects on health when justifying the consumption of organic products: “It doesn’t seem like a solid reason at the moment,” he points out. As his report concludes, “While the beneficial effect of consuming fruits and vegetables is well documented, it is not currently possible to know whether the organic version of these foods provides additional benefits.”
Professor Mulet goes further and recalls that organic production “uses manure of animal origin, with which contaminations are easier. In fact, we have had the worst food crises in Spain for this reason”.
The organic farming justified for “reasons of sustainability, proximity… not healthier and more expensive“, both Alonso Coello and Mulet agree.
What to do then? Yeray Vidaldietitian and creator of the movement #comefrutacoo, is clear: “With or without pesticides, fruit will always give you more than it can take away.” Vidal remembers the basics: “Always wash it well or peel it. With strawberries, for example, which can cause more doubts, add to the water a dash of vinegar or a little baking soda“.
According to the criteria of
Know more
www.elmundo.es
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism