Traces of mold inside this brand of tomato: that’s it

Over the past few months, there have been so many recalls of tomato sauce batches belonging to a well-known Italian brand. The answer comes from Germany, which seems to have created a valid test to understand which brands actually comply with the laws in the health sector. All these withdrawals have generated great confusion among consumers who, to date, no longer know which brand to trust to enjoy a healthy product.

Industry experts say they have analyzed a number of over fifty brands of tomato puree, including looking for the presence of mold toxins or chemical pesticides used. Among the brands analyzed, there are also many Italian batches concerned by the presence of substances harmful to our organism. These studies found that one in five doughs contained toxins indicating the presence of mold.

According to consumer associations, this bad situation arises from the fact that not only healthy and ripe tomatoes, but also moldy and spoiled products were included in tomato sauce. In general, researchers say that these toxins are toxic to humans, but it all depends on the amount and type of toxin that develops. Indeed, in particular cases, if the patient presents a picture already compromised by allergies or previous intoxications, the contribution of these new toxins could be fatal.

Specifically, toxins have been found from fungi of the genus Alternaria. These fungi very often colonize tomato plants, as they find a natural habitat there. According to some studies, these toxins are capable of damaging genetic material and inhibiting the production of endogenous proteins, necessary for the maturation of many organs considered “vital”. The brands most affected by these contaminations are those of the ORGANIC, because they are more exposed to any vector or contaminant precisely because no pesticide or chemical product is used on the raw materials to ward off insects.

The producers of these companies have tried to justify themselves by saying that, in order to obtain a product that can be considered ORGANIC, it is necessary not to use poisonous substances which certainly minimize exposure to mold, but are also extremely harmful. Despite these published declarations, consumer associations maintain that there is still room for improvement: it would be enough to put in place greater attention during the tomato selection phase and to eliminate spoiled products in order not to not disturb the whole production.