Professor Zhao Jianzhuang from the Capital Academy of Industrial Technology for Agricultural Product Safety stated that there are more than 20 types of plant diseases in China, and fruit farmers may use pesticides to varying degrees during the production process. According to testing, only chlorothalonil was detected among fungicides, but in very small amounts. Compared to the national standard for residue limits of less than 1mg/kg, even the sample with the highest residue, Sample No. 4, showed a result of only about one percent of the national standard. The lowest residue, in Sample No. 7, was even less, at only about five thousandths of the national standard.
Further testing by the personnel revealed that acetochlor was detected in all 8 samples. The highest content was found in Sample No. 1 strawberry, purchased from Xinfadi. The lowest content was also found in a sample from Xinfadi, Sample No. 3.
In response, Professor Zhao Jianzhuang explained that acetochlor is a herbicide, primarily used for field crops such as corn, beans, potatoes, and rapeseed. Currently, China has not established a residue standard for acetochlor in strawberries, nor has it regulated its use in strawberry cultivation. If referring to China's residue standards for field crops, the standard for acetochlor is 0.05-1mg/kg, and the test results did not exceed this limit.
Professor Zhao also stated that if compared to the stricter EU standard of 0.05 mg per kg, the highest residue of acetochlor in the tested samples, Sample No. 1, was 0.367 mg per kg, exceeding the standard by more than 6 times. Even the lowest residue, in Sample No. 3, exceeded the standard by about 1 time.
Professor Zhao introduced that in the United States, acetochlor has been classified as a Group B2 carcinogen. Long-term consumption of food with acetochlor residues may lead to poisoning from its metabolites. For example, poisoning from quinone (imine) metabolites could potentially be carcinogenic.
How to identify "authentic" strawberries
Strawberries that have been treated with excessive hormones are difficult to judge by color, shape, and size alone. Complex testing with professional instruments is generally required to confirm whether hormones have been used. However, some simple methods can still be used for identification. For instance, when buying strawberries, you can first smell them. Fresh, high-quality strawberries have a unique aroma, whereas strawberries with excessive hormones may have a faint strawberry smell and a slightly pungent odor.
First trick: Look at the appearance. Normal strawberries are relatively small and have a more regular conical shape. However, some hormone-treated strawberries, due to their variety, may also be conical but are larger in size. Generally, hormone-treated strawberries are larger and have an unusual, often distorted shape. Therefore, consumers should be particularly cautious when selecting strawberries that are overly large or strangely shaped.
Second trick: Look at the color. Hormone-treated strawberries have uneven color and poor gloss. The color at the top of the strawberry (the calyx part) is distinctly green and red, with some local areas being overly deep red while other parts are lighter. Good strawberries should have a uniform, bright red color. Additionally, the "white sesame seeds" on the strawberry's surface should be golden yellow. If you see these "seeds" are also red, they may have been dyed.
Strawberry surfaces' "white sesame seeds" should be golden yellow, if you see the "sesame seeds" are also red, that may be dyed.
Third trick: Look at whether the color of the cut flesh is uniform. The flesh of normal strawberries is pinkish, or white if not fully ripe, but the color is always uniform, without distinct red and white boundaries.
Fourth trick: Taste the texture. Normal strawberries are firm with a strong fruity flavor, but hormone-injected strawberries are softer and have a very bland taste.
Fifth trick: Check for a hollow center. After being injected with hormones, the strawberry flesh may become hollow.
Sixth trick: See if they can last overnight. Strawberries injected with hormones cannot be stored for long. Excluding reasons like being crushed, they will usually become soft or turn dark red after one night, whereas normal strawberries can generally be stored overnight.
However, these tricks should be considered comprehensively; one should not judge based on a single sign that a strawberry has been treated with hormones.