In Germany, numerous family businesses produce and sell strawberries. Throughout the year, they work towards offering freshly harvested fruits from regional cultivation to the many strawberry lovers in the country during the summer months. After all, locals agree that homegrown strawberries fresh from the field simply taste the best.
"But every year, at the peak of the German strawberry harvest, self-proclaimed 'experts' from donation-funded NGOs push into the media and warn against consuming the fruits. Ostensibly, the issue is the use of pesticides, which are applied by strawberry farmers during the growing season to protect the plants and fruits from diseases. Residues of these pesticides found on the fruits are allegedly so dangerous that they warn against consuming the fruits. But is that really the case?" writes the Federal Professional Group of Fruit Growers in a statement.
"The fact is, pesticides are used to protect plants or parts of plants from pathogens such as fungi and animal pests. They aim to secure the harvest yield, protect the fruits during storage and transport, and ensure good food quality. Therefore, pesticides are also used in organic farming, albeit different ones than in Integrated Production. But the goal is the same," says the Federal Professional Group.
"The amounts found as residues on the fruits often equate to the proverbial sugar cube in Lake Constance. Fresh fruits and vegetables are regularly checked for residues by the responsible authorities. The permissible amounts are toxicologically meticulously assessed and have been found safe within the framework of approved applications. This year, not a single sample exceeded or even came close to the legally established maximum residue levels (MRLs). Yet, warnings against consuming these fruits persist."
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) oversees the health risk of foodstuffs in Germany. "Its scientists regularly point out that the detection of residues in food does not per se pose a health risk to consumers. They see no health impairment from consuming domestic strawberries. But they are not heard."
It adds: "The same scientists at the BfR, however, urgently warn against the dangers of consuming strawberries contaminated with mold. Mold spores contain carcinogenic toxins, mycotoxins, which can damage the liver and kidneys and weaken the immune system. Here, too high values are repeatedly found in fruits and vegetables – mostly imported from abroad and accordingly transported for a long time and sometimes stored incorrectly. Yet, they are not heard. Why is that so?"
Mold-free strawberries are delicious and particularly healthy fruits. "To be able to produce them, fruit growers must use pesticides. German fruit growers do so very specifically according to the strict guidelines of controlled Integrated Production. As much as necessary, but as little as possible – that is the maxim. And for good reason: the targeted use of pesticides significantly reduces the risk of fungal infestation and secures the harvest. This allows consumers to buy and enjoy healthy, fungus-free strawberries at affordable prices," it further advocates.
"This is confirmed by the latest evaluation of the QS residue monitoring. There, 197 strawberry samples were examined for pesticide residues. The utilization of the legally established maximum residue levels (MRLs) was at most 10% for 83% of the active substance detections. And 99% of the active substances detected in the samples utilized the legal MRLs by only up to a maximum of 30%. In a word: The sugar cube in Lake Constance would here be no more than a speck of dust! The recommendation of German fruit growers is therefore: Listen to independent scientists and enjoy regional, healthy strawberries in season without worry," it concludes.
For more information:
Joerg Hilbers
Federal Professional Group of Fruit Growers
Claire-Waldoff-Straße 7
10117 Berlin
Tel.: 030 200065-23
E-Mail: [email protected]
www.obstbau.org