Superfoods barely healthy? Öko-Test finds harmful substances in almost all products

Superfoods are on everyone's lips. Whether chia seeds or Moringa leaves, healthy foods are in vogue. The exotic foods are especially rich in valuable ingredients and vitamins. They keep us healthy, fit and strengthen our immune system. The consumer magazine "Öko-Test" 22 took a close look at these products - and came to a sobering conclusion. According to this, more than two-thirds of the samples were successful, and two organic brands were even classified as "not marketable".
Superfoods are becoming increasingly popular
Whether chia seeds, carob, goji or açaí berries: Superfoods should not only have a positive effect on our figure and mood, but also be especially good for your health. For example, chia seeds should lower blood sugar and minimize the risk of stroke or heart attack. Hemp seeds are recommended for fatigue and fatigue, the green tea powder Matcha is known for its large amount of antioxidants, important vitamins and minerals. But are the powders, seeds or extracts really as healthy as the consumer is suggested? The consumer magazine "Öko-Test" has looked at the Superfoods closer and came to a disappointing result.

Image: Marilyn Barbone - fotolia

Many products heavily contaminated with pollutants
According to a recent release, the magazine's experts had tested a total of 22 products, including acai, spirulina, barley grass and wheatgrass powder from organic stores, health food stores, supermarkets and discounters. It was found that two-thirds of the samples were so contaminated with pollutants that they failed with "insufficient" or "poor". Two organic brands even proved to be "not marketable", the report said.

Chia seeds contain highly toxic pesticides
The testers found a variety of substances that could potentially pose a massive health hazard to the consumer. In a sample of the "Dragon Superfoods Goji Berries", for example, they were able to detect 16 different pesticide residues - a clear indication that conventionally produced goji berries should still be treated with caution. Unfortunately, the experts were also unable to avoid pesticides when it came to organic products, as the chia seeds from Alnatura and Basic exceeded both legal maximum residue limits. According to the magazine, the basic chia seeds even reached too high a value even after deducting the measurement uncertainty, which is why the sample had to be classified as "not marketable". The reason for the exceedances were the weedkillers diquat and paraquat - substances that are considered to be highly toxic.

Too much cadmium and insect repellent in cocoa
In the "organic raw cocoa powder" brand "fines" found on the one hand more than the maximum authorized amount of the chemical insect repellent diethyltoluamide (DEET). In addition, the cocoa contained too much cadmium, which can damage the kidneys and is suspected of cancer. The powder contained so much of the substance that already with a tablespoon the recommended daily maximum amount is taken up, so the message on. Two aspects that led the testers to classify this product as non-marketable.

Eight samples loaded with aromatic mineral oils
Spirulina powder was found to contain too much lead, which can damage the central nervous system, heart, circulation and kidneys. Apart from five samples, the testers also found petroleum hydrocarbons in all the tested products, most notably saturated mineral oils (MOSH), which can accumulate in body fat and some organs. Eight samples were additionally loaded with aromatic mineral oils (MOAH), some of which are carcinogenic. (No)