News
14.06.2023 - Foods
Couscous in Eco-Test - Analysis for Pesticides and Mineral Oil Components (MOSH/MOAH)
In the May 2023 issue of Öko-Test, couscous was tested 20 times, including 15 products with organic certification.
The following test parameters were examined:
- Pesticides
- Mineral oil components (MOSH/MOAH)
Pesticides
The pesticide pirimiphos-methyl was detected in four products. Because it is toxic to bees, pirimiphos-methyl is on the list of highly hazardous pesticides of the Pesticide Action Network (PAN). For people eating one of the couscous products, the trace levels found are not toxic. In Germany, its use is no longer permitted, but in other countries, including some within the EU, it is.
In organic farming, farmers are not allowed to use synthetic pesticides. Traces of cypermethrin were detected in an organic product. This substance is also on the PAN list for hazardous pesticides due to its bee toxicity.
Traces of the pesticide glyphosate were detected in one product. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the world's most widely used herbicide as "probably carcinogenic" in 2015, while the ECHA considers glyphosate toxic to aquatic organisms but identifies no cancer risk.
Mineral Oil Components
Mineral oil components can enter food through machine lubricants or packaging plastics. Among the aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons MOAH, there may be carcinogenic compounds. Contaminations with mineral oil components (MOSH/MOAH) were detected in two couscous packages.
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