Little black dress in the eco-test: One pepper gets "unsatisfactory"

Little black dress in the eco-test One pepper gets "unsatisfactory" 27.02.2025, 07:27

It goes well with almost every dish and is one of the most popular spices in this country. On average, every adult consumes about three to four grains a day. But there are big differences in taste and quality when it comes to black pepper.

Once worth its weight in gold, the spice is now inexpensive and found in every household. And rightly so, as the hot pepper goes well with almost every meal. The approximately 30,000 tons of pepper imported to Germany each year come primarily from Brazil, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The color of the spice provides information about the ripeness and processing of the berries. Black pepper is harvested unripe and dried in the sun. It is the best-selling variety.

One thing in advance: connoisseurs should prefer whole grains, as they offer the most aroma. When it comes to spiciness, the piperine content provides guidance: the higher the content, the hotter the pepper tastes.

Öko-Test has tasted whole black grains 21 times from supermarkets, discount stores, drugstores and organic shops. At prices between 0.99 euros and 6.98 euros per 100 grams. In the laboratory, the goods were tested for saturated (MOSH/MOSH analogues) and aromatic mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOAH) as well as pesticides. The analyses for the mold toxins aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, the fumigant ethylene oxide and the microbiological tests for mold and various bacteria all came up empty.

Five organic peppers are "good"

The laboratory found saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH/MOSH analogues) in five products, including four organic brands. They enter food as contaminants, for example via lubricating oils during production. MOSH accumulate in human fatty tissue and some organs - the effects are still unclear. However, since consumers eat relatively little pepper, it is not to be expected that large amounts of MOSH remain in the body. The testers therefore assessed the findings less strictly than in other foods of which larger quantities are consumed.

Öko-Test can recommend five pepper brands in the test with a "good" overall rating - all of them are organically grown. These include the "Alnatura Black Pepper" for 3.56 euros, the "dm Bio Black Pepper, Naturland" (2.50 euros), the "K- Bio Pepper, black" from Kaufland (2.49 euros) and the "Ener Bio Black Pepper, Naturland" from Rossmann (2.56 euros). The laboratory found traces of three different pesticides in the peppercorns from Würz & Co (Penny) and Le Gusto (Aldi Nord). However, this did not lead to a disastrous rating.

In contrast to the assessment of the "Hartkorn peppercorns, black" from Hartkorn spice mill. Here, Öko-Test was able to detect increased mineral oil components and MOAH. In addition, the manufacturer did not want to provide any evidence on the further test point of supply chains. This was acknowledged by the testers with an "unsatisfactory" rating.