Stiftung Warentester Almost all arugula salads contain too many harmful nitrates

Dangerous pollutants: Rucola is often contaminated with nitrate
At the beginning of the year, the consumer magazine "Öko-Test" reported that numerous toxins were found in lamb's lettuce during an investigation. In a recent test of Stiftung Warentest now showed that also rocket is often contaminated with hazardous pollutants.

Rich in important minerals
Rucola, also called Rauke, has become one of the most popular types of lettuce in Germany in recent years. Its slightly spicy taste reminiscent of cress and walnuts makes it an ideal ingredient in delicious salads, soups, spreads and many other dishes. Rucola is low in calories and rich in minerals like potassium and iron. The leaves also contain plenty of beta-carotene, folic acid and mustard oils. Although rocket is very healthy, not too much should be consumed. Because in the salad often put many pollutants, as the Stiftung Warentest reported.

According to a recent study by the magazine "test", eight out of nine packs of rucola contain too much nitrate. (Image: pilipphoto / fotolia.com)

Too much nitrate in rocket
As stated in the magazine "test" (issue 04/2017), eight out of nine packs contain too much nitrate. Only once was the grade "satisfactory" given by the examiners; eight times the verdict was: "Sufficient".

The arugula leaves of Edeka therefore contained the least amount of nitrate.

According to the testers, consumers have less to worry about because of other pollutants, with the exception of one unpleasant exception: significant amounts of perchlorate were found in a rocket - but still below the EU reference level.

Too much perchlorate can inhibit the thyroid gland to absorb iodine. Possible consequences are fatigue and susceptibility to infection.

When nitrate becomes nitrite
"Nitrate itself is relatively harmless," writes the foundation. But if nitrate becomes harmful nitrite, perhaps due to improper transport or storage, it can be dangerous.

Nitrite can react with proteins in the body to form nitrosamines that are suspected of causing cancer.

"For adults, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers daily up to 3.7 milligrams of nitrate per kilogram of body weight safe," the testers report.

We do not only take nitrate from salad and vegetables, but also, for example, over cured meat. In addition, in some places too much nitrate is found in drinking water.

Field salads came off better in the test
Field lettuce has also been scrutinized in the current study. The examiners of the Stiftung Warentest found only the "Brio Feldsalat" from the biosupermarket chain Denn's as "good", seven achieved a "satisfactory", one a "sufficient".

Here, too, the nitrate levels were negative, with no maximum legal value for lamb's lettuce.

With regard to all tested products, the testers write: "We did not find harmful residues of pesticides or chlorates in any single salad."

Do not give up on greenery
Stiftung Warentest expressly points out that it is not a good idea to forego green results because of the results.

"Both the European Food Safety Authority and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment rate the positive effects of vegetables and fruits more than the risks of too much nitrate," say the experts.

They write further: "Better to pay attention to variety and naturally eat nitrates such as rocket during the season from May to October. Because then the salad harvested here does not come from greenhouses and contains less nitrate. "(Ad)