We are now used to finding tomatoes all year round, even out of season. But have you ever wondered what they really contain and what risks they can hide? An investigation by the French magazine Que Choisir analyzed several tomatoes sold in French supermarkets, highlighting how many of them, particularly those imported from some countries, contain pesticide residues potentially dangerous to health.
More specifically, the investigation was based on data from the French authorities collected between 2019 and 2022, which examined 120 French, 21 Spanish and 33 Moroccan tomatoes, comparing the presence of pesticide residues. The result was very clear: while local tomatoes show relatively low levels of chemicals, those imported from Spain and Morocco often contain multiple residues, including some substances recognized as endocrine disruptors or suspected of being carcinogenic.
The investigation, it is true, concerns France, but it is likely that the situation in Italy is not too different with regards to tomatoes imported from these countries.
The risks of imported tomatoes
More than half of the Moroccan tomatoes and 80% of the Spanish tomatoes analyzed contained pesticide residues, compared to only 15% of the French tomatoes. If we focus on the molecules most dangerous to health – carcinogens, endocrine disruptors and other high-risk substances – almost 40% of imported tomatoes contained them, compared to 6% of French ones.
This situation does not actually only concern tomatoes sold in winter, but all varieties that can be purchased throughout the year. It means that even in summer, when we choose between local and imported products, it is worth reading the labels carefully and finding out about their origin.
Organic: Safer, but not perfect
Organic tomatoes remain the safest choice when it comes to chemical residues, as analyzes have not detected any dangerous substances, regardless of the country of origin. But be careful: organic does not automatically mean sustainable on all fronts, as the experts write Que Choisir:
No dangerous residues were found on the organic tomatoes analyzed by the authorities, regardless of their origin. Nonetheless, our investigation reveals that it is not an absolute guarantee, especially in terms of respecting workers’ rights or managing water resources.
French experts refer above all to intensive productions such as those in Almería, Spain. In France, however, as in Italy, organic farms are often smaller, local and with greater social control, although not always without problems.
The environmental and social impact of Spanish tomatoes
Most of Spain’s tomatoes come from the province of Almería, the “garden of Europe”, where hundreds of square kilometers of plastic greenhouses produce tons of vegetables destined for European markets.
Intensive production, as you can imagine, entails serious environmental consequences: massive use of pesticides, excessive water consumption, accumulation of plastic and waste near rivers and nature reserves such as the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. The Mar Menor lagoon is a dramatic example, here fertilizers and pesticides discharged into the water have caused a proliferation of microalgae and the death of thousands of fish.
Workers’ conditions are also often critical. Many laborers, coming from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, work in very hot greenhouses, without protection during the use of pesticides, with wages lower than the legal minimum and without protection. In some areas, thousands of people live in slums, exposed to health and environmental risks.
What we can do as consumers
To reduce exposure to pesticides and make more sustainable choices, it is important to avoid out-of-season produce and choose organic and locally sourced tomatoes, even better if purchased at farmers’ markets or through buying groups. In this way we not only help the environment, but also support more ethical and responsible supply chains.
