Alarming results: ÖKO-TEST warns of Brazil nuts exposed to radiation

Brazil nuts promise a lot: vitamins, minerals, fiber and plenty of unsaturated fatty acids. But a new test by ÖKO-TEST shows something frightening. According to this, all of the tested products show an increased contamination with radioactive radium. We present the test results of our partner ÖKO-TEST below.

Only three times “satisfactory” – 13 products fail

Brazil nuts have long since established themselves on supermarket shelves in Europe. But the wild-growing nuts from the rainforests of Bolivia and Brazil also have a number of critical chemical substances in addition to a high level of environmental pollution.

A test by ÖKO-TEST in the current issue of
Edition 03/2023
the high contamination of South American nuts with radioactive radium. The consumer magazine examined 21 products from well-known manufacturers for radiation exposure and other ingredients. But no product was convincing: A total of 13 products failed, including the long-standing market leaders Seeberger and Alnatura.

Other pollutants

The well-known brands Alnatura and Seeberger are among the bottom performers in the test. The reason: The Brazil nut products not only contain increased radiation exposure, but also slightly increased perchlorate and barium levels. According to the Federal Office for Risk Assessment, perchlorate can lead to changes in the thyroid hormone level in risk groups, while barium can lead to high blood pressure.

Three “satisfactory” products

“The contamination of the nuts with radioactive radium is the reason why we were at best able to award the overall rating “satisfactory” in this test,” explains ÖKO-TEST. Overall rating “satisfactory”:

• Farmer’s Snack organic Brazil nuts natural (
  to Rewe
  )

• Rapunzel Paranüsse (
  to Rapunzel
  )

• Good & cheap brazil nuts from Edeka (
  to Edeka
  )

Although the nuts contained here also have an increased radiation exposure, the test results for the other ingredients are at least justifiable.