Test: Organic blueberries have the highest levels of important antioxidants and no pesticide residues

If you want frozen blueberries with the fewest pesticide residues and the highest possible content of anthocyanins—a group of antioxidants—the safest choice is organic. In its latest magazine for members, the Danish Consumer Council THINK tested ten different types of frozen blueberries—five organic and five conventional—and all five organic varieties scored higher than the conventional ones. In the test, THINK measured, among other things, the levels of pesticide residues and anthocyanins, which are natural plant compounds with antioxidant properties. Four of the organic blueberries were of the wild Nordic species Vaccinium myrtillus, which had anthocyanin levels of between 4,973 and 5,493 mg/kg in the test. This species also typically has a higher anthocyanin content than other species. The fifth organic variety was Vaccinium angustifolium and had a content of 1,002 mg/kg—about one-fifth that of the other four organic varieties. All five conventional varieties were of the species Vaccinium corymbosum, which had levels of between 291 and 1,173 mg/kg. The organic blueberries with the highest content therefore had almost 19 times more anthocyanins per kilogram than the conventional variety with the lowest content. All five organic blueberries were free of pesticide residues, while the conventional ones contained between one and four different pesticide residues. However, all the findings were below the EU maximum residue limits. According to Peter Skjødt, who was responsible for the test at the Danish Consumer Council THINK, anthocyanins are one of the reasons blueberries are often described as a “superfood,” and extensive research is being conducted into whether these compounds may have positive effects on, among other things, the circulatory system, blood sugar regulation, and memory. The full test and ranking of the berries can be found here (members only).