Spanish strawberries have been ranked among the safest in Europe in terms of pesticide content. This conclusion was reached by the authors of a study conducted by PAN Europe in collaboration with environmental organizations, which analyzed berry samples from 11 EU countries, as reported by Euronews. Overall, traces of pesticides were found in 88% of the strawberry samples tested across Europe. Additionally, 58% of the berries contained residues of PFAS — so-called "forever chemicals" that do not break down and can accumulate in the human body and the environment. More than half of the substances found belong to the most dangerous pesticides permitted for use in the EU, but are subject to gradual phase-out. In this context, Spanish strawberries showed significantly more favorable results. In one of the two Spanish samples tested, specialists found only two permitted pesticides, and their concentration was significantly below the allowable limits. Organic strawberries demonstrated particularly good results. In both Spain and other European countries, no traces of pesticides were found in any of the organic samples tested. According to Cristina Garcia, the coordinator of the toxic substances program at Ecologistas en Acción, the results of the study indicate that it is entirely feasible to grow strawberries without the use of dangerous chemicals. The authors of the study believe that the data obtained call into question the need to relax European pesticide regulations and, on the contrary, argue for stricter adherence to existing requirements. At the same time, ecologists remind us that the environmental friendliness of products is not the only issue related to strawberry production. According to Coldo Hernandez, the coordinator of the water program at Ecologistas en Acción, the intensive cultivation of this crop is accompanied by high water consumption and raises serious questions about the working conditions of seasonal workers. In particular, he reported cases of exploitation of women engaged in harvesting, describing their situation as close to "semi-slavery." The study shows that Spanish strawberries are among the safest in terms of pesticide content in the European Union. However, experts emphasize that food production should be assessed not only by its chemical safety but also by considering environmental and social consequences.