It’s no surprise, and it’s often said, “quickly done” is popular with the French, and this is confirmed once again with ready-to-use vegetables, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, fresh, washed, peeled and packaged in bags!
This is even more true with salads: 7 out of 10 French people eat them. Except that the quality leaves something to be desired! In its April issue of 60 Million consumers, the monthly magazine tested 26 products – 13 lettuces and 13 lamb’s lettuce in bags – and the observation was that many were loaded with pesticide residues. Decryption with Patricia Chairopoulous, after tests and analyzes on 26 references of bagged salads.
franceinfo: What exactly were you looking for?
Patricia Chairopoulous, editor-in-chief: We subjected the samples of these 26 salads to laboratory analyzes in order to search for pesticide residues and quantify them. As they are fragile products, exposed to diseases that are difficult to treat, their cultivation requires frequent use of fungicides and insecticides. We also measured the residues of chlorine solution, used in factories, to wash salads before putting them in bags.
In total, 28 different molecules were identified. In fact, the vast majority of our salads are contaminated, and in a significant way: we found on average 4 pesticide residues per salad. Only two lettuces and three lamb’s lettuce are free from contamination.
And among these molecules, are any dangerous for health?
That’s the most annoying thing. We have found eight molecules suspected of having at least one action “carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction” (CMR). In total, 11 lettuces and 4 lamb’s lettuce contained one or more potentially CMR pesticide residues.
Certainly, the quantities found are all within the regulatory limits, even for the highest of the test (0.18 mg / kg of metaflumizone in Carrefour Market lettuce). In other words, there is – theoretically – no health risk.
Could there be a cocktail effect when we find several traces of different pesticides in a product?
We cannot exclude it, particularly with CMR substances. Certainly, we now have data on the mixtures of residues to which the French are most exposed; These data indicate, for the most part, that these are mainly additive effects.
But here, we are in the presence of less widespread phytosanitary products, and we cannot therefore certify the absence of a cocktail effect, that is to say an increased harmful effect, due to the combination of certain molecules.
But if you rewash your salad, even if it says that it is ready to use, is this a way to remove potential traces of chlorine or pesticides?
For pesticides, unfortunately no. Washing only removes water-soluble residues and those present on the surface of the leaves. On the other hand, it will not be effective on pesticides lodged within the plant matrix.
As for chlorine, it actually leaves with the water. But let us rest assured: our analyzes showed that chlorine residues were in very small quantities, or even absent, in organic products.
IShould we be wary of bagged salads with a very long shelf life?
Normally, the expiry date (DLC), which figure necessarily on the packaging, is never very long. You should know that a large proportion of salads, sensitive to oxygen, are packaged “under protective atmosphere”. “This process allows the salad to keep for around eight days.
But L’protective atmosphere requires maintaining a temperature at 4°C throughout storage ; that is why, In stores, bagged salads must be in a refrigerated cabinet.
Generally speaking, where do all these salads come from, because lettuce doesn’t grow in November, but we find it all the time?
Yes quite ! From November to April, manufacturers source their supplies from southern Europe, mainly Italy and Spain, for most salads such as lettuce. But in summer, it involves French crops, in open field plots dedicated to these products. Only lamb’s lettuce, a winter salad, can remain cultivated in France all year round. Some of the packaging indicates the origin of the salad, but this indication is not obligatory on processed products.
Is this what explains the high price of all these ready-to-use salads?
Not only. The price includes the cost of labor, sachet and facilities necessary for their preparation. According to our study, prices lettuce in bags (200 grams for most references) varies from €4.40/kg to €9.72/kg. For comparison, a whole fresh lettuce, weighing around 300 grams, costs on average less than 1.10 euros; even adding 15 to 20% loss, the price remains lower.
And is organic a guarantee?
Overall yes, but in our test, organic lamb’s lettuce contains a residue resulting from the degradation of a herbicide, banned from use since 2010! We cannot know if it is an error, an involuntary contamination or a voluntary addition. This molecule being persistent in the soil, it could be a case of accidental contamination of the environment.
What advice could you give before shopping?
We see that lamb’s lettuce is generally less contaminated than other salads. Otherwise, for environmental reasons, we can try to do without plastic bags and instead favor bulk salads.