- The Pro-Test Foundation tested the pesticide content of organic spinach from Biedronka, organic apples from Lidl and chokeberries bought directly from a farmer that were not certified organic.
- The results are surprising. And they cast a shadow on the commonly held beliefs about organic products.
Organic food with pesticides
To test whether eco is eco, the Pro-Test Foundation bought organic gala apples from Lidl’s Ryneczek Lidla brand, organic baby spinach from goBio brand and chokeberries from Biedronka. The latter – directly from the farmer. The chokeberry did not have a certificate of organic production, but only assured that it was organic.
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In apples bought at Lidl, we detected a pesticide that – according to the law – should not be found in organic apples. That means these apples can’t call themselves “organic.” The bio spinach also contained a pesticide. However, in this case it is a compound that is allowed for use in organic products. Chokeberry was the only one in the test that did not contain any pesticide residues.
Pesticides even in organic products
There is a perception among consumers that if they pay more for an organic product, there are no pesticides in it. Meanwhile, it turns out that this is not the case at all. Not only can organic-certified fruits and vegetables legally contain residues of certain pesticides, but, as the test showed, they even contain substances that are not allowed in organic production.
As Pro-Test explains, selected pesticides are allowed in fruits and vegetables with a European green leaf certificate, attesting to organic cultivation. Fewer substances are allowed than in conventional products, of course, but they can still legally be found in them. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development maintains a list of plant protection products allowed in organic production. Surprisingly, the substances that are allowed in organic have the same MRL (maximum permissible level) as in conventional crops.
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To buy eco or not?
According to the experts of the Pro-Test Foundation, it is worth choosing them.
Even if they are contaminated with residues of harmful substances, there are far fewer of them than in standard food. This test proved it: in the organic spinach we bought at Biedronka, the laboratory detected one pesticide. This is about the spinosad allowed in such a product, despite the fact that it boasts an organic certificate, the Pro-Test report reads.
In contrast, chlorantraniliprole was found in the organic apples we bought at Lidl. This compound should no longer be found in organic apples. However, if we compare them with the conventionally grown apples we tested a few months ago, we can clearly see how much more contaminated those fruits were. Indeed, in our March 2024 test, we detected as many as nine different pesticides in Lidl apples, according to Pro-Test’s analysis.
Who’s expensive bio?
Vegetables and fruits from bio can be up to several times more expensive than conventional ones. For bio apples from Lidl, which were purchased for the test, we paid PLN 5.99. There are four pieces in a package with a total weight of 600 g, so the price per kilogram is PLN 9.98. This is more than twice the current average price of conventional apples. The spinach tested by Biedronka costs PLN 6.89 for 150 g. Here the price is not so different from similar products from conventional cultivation.
Aronia from the farmer
An interesting conclusion from the test is that fruits from conventional cultivation fared best in the test. More specifically, chokeberries. They were bought for the test from an ad on OLX, from a plantation in the Lublin province. A kilogram cost PLN 3.
Does such a test result mean that what is bought directly from the farmer is better than from large retail chains?
– Not always. Certainly this rule does not apply to strawberries. In June 2024, we just compared strawberries sold directly from the farmer with those from discount stores in a study. What was the result of the study? The greatest number of various harmful compounds was found in fruit from Biedronka, but also a great deal – in strawberries from the bazaar and in those bought directly from the farmer. In contrast, strawberries bought at Lidl had the least amount of various pesticides, according to Pro-Test.
Lidl’s statement
We conduct more than about 9,500 quality tests of food products annually in independent, accredited testing laboratories. We control product quality at every stage of the supply chain. We work only with certified suppliers who meet our quality requirements – we require quality certificates that confirm the high quality and safety of the products – in the area of food and non-food products we require IFS and BRC certificates, and in the area of fruits and vegetables we require GlobalG.A.P./GRASP certification.
It should be emphasized that both the producers and Lidl Poland have been under the constant supervision of external entities authorized to inspect organic food for years. We would also like to point out that only the relevant certification bodies or inspection authorities can establish violations of the applicable regulations and laws on organic farming.
The supplier of Gala bio apples has been an organic producer since 2017. According to a statement sent by Adam Pajewski, a producer of bio apples, the tests carried out by the Pro-Test Foundation are questionable because the analytics and reliability of the test are unknown: there is no description of the handling of the sample during the test, there is also no confirmation of the purchase of the sample, and there is no information about the people carrying out the test, as well as how the apples were packed and delivered to the laboratory. This information is very important for the results of the test, because by improper handling of the sample (e.g., insufficient protection during transport), contamination can occur – the apples may have been contaminated with undesirable substances.
As part of the regular monitoring of organic apples in 2024, none of the tests conducted in an external, accredited laboratory showed the presence of any pesticides, including those allowed in organic production. We would like to point out that we test each product for the presence of 730 substances, which is as many as 182 more substances than in the published test of apples, spinach and chokeberries.
At Lidl Poland, we always follow the applicable legislation, and sometimes the internal guidelines adopted by our company are even more demanding than EU regulations. In the case of fresh fruits and vegetables, our pesticide residue policy specifies that our accepted level for one detected substance is a maximum of 1/3 of the legal limits. The total number of detected residues must not exceed 5 in a single test.
Both in the fruit and vegetable area and in the rest of our product range, we have set strict quality standards for our products, monitor them regularly and consistently set ourselves new and ambitious targets. In 2021, we introduced a list of strategic compounds in our company, which includes as many as 206 substances banned from cultivation, and we monitor compliance with this list.
We maintain full supply chain traceability. We are also in constant contact with our suppliers – our common goal is to improve the quality of the products we offer. We analyze the test results we receive internally, as well as with our suppliers, and set ourselves ambitious goals for the next season, often exceeding the standards on the market,” reads a statement from Lidl Poland.
