The turmeric cult probably reached its peak with the golden milk. But all that glitters is not gold. “Ökotest” tested 21 ground turmeric. The result is sobering.
The good news first: turmeric is an all-rounder in the kitchen. With its aromatic smell and slightly sharp taste, the spice is suitable for giving fish, poultry and stews an oriental touch. Turmeric is also considered a health booster. However, if you go by the “Ökotest”, many products fail. Above all, ground turmeric can actually be forgotten. Only the product from Dennree (1.99 euros per 50 g), which bears the Naturland organic seal, achieves the top rating of “very good”. One of 21 products. Two are still “satisfactory”, but the rest falls through mercilessly.
On the one hand, this is due to the excessive exposure to mineral oil components, on the other hand, because of pesticides in the products and the discovery of carcinogenic benzoapyrene. This can be found in the organic product Sonnentor (2.99 euros). The ground turmeric from Alnatura, Aldi Nord and TRS (which is often found in Asian shops) received the worst grade of “insufficient”.
Norma takes tested batches directly from the sale
The providers are well aware of the problem, as “Ökotest” writes. They speak of a “ubiquitous basic pollution of the raw material used”, and mineral oil residues also get into the spices via migration from jute bags that are used in the countries of origin. The dealers are already working on “minimization strategy”. Norma goes one step further: The result of “Ökotest” does not meet the high demands of the discounter, which is why the tested batch of this product was withdrawn from sale.
According to Statista, around 5700 tons of turmeric were imported to Germany in 2020. A decade ago it was only around 2000 tons. By far the most important supplier country is India. But the cultivation of local turmeric can also be successful: the first cultivation attempts were made in the horticultural center of the Hessen state agricultural enterprise. In the meantime, a “harvest quantity of high-quality rhizomes worth growing has formed.” Who knows if we will be able to consume German turmeric soon.
You can read the whole test here for a fee!
