Oat flakes in comparison: Almost half contain pesticides, mycotoxins or nickel. Among the worst those of Lidl

Oat flakes in comparison: Almost half contain pesticides, mycotoxins or nickel. Among the worst those of Lidl

A new test shows the presence of pesticides, mycotoxins and too much nickel in oat flakes. Only organic brands are good

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Rolled oats are considered a health food, but if we take a closer look at their content, we may change our mind. In some cases, in fact, these flakes contain unwanted substances. This is what the new test by the Swiss consumer magazine K-Tipp has shown.





Oatmeal is a great breakfast food due to the many fiber, minerals and vitamins it contains. Unfortunately, however, these cereals can also present traces of harmful substances.

He thought about comparing different packages of oat flakes to discover the possible presence of pesticides, molds or heavy metals K tip who did analyze 12 products.

The results

The organic comes out very well from the test, indeed the magazine emphasizes just how of the 12 products analyzed only organic oat flakes were found to be free of pesticides. And, considering this, the 4 better products turned out to be:

  • Migros Bio
  • Spar (bio)
  • Alnatura (bio)
  • Steinermühle (bio)

However, even an organic product contained residues of mycotoxins. These are organic oat flakes from Coop (Elvetica) Naturaplan inside which traces of tossine T-2 e HT-2  which, as K-Tipp recalls, can lead to diarrhea, stomach bleeding or drowsiness as evidenced by some studies conducted on animals.

The European Food Safety Authority has therefore set a maximum tolerance limit for these substances of 0,02 micrograms per kilogram of body weight. The Swiss magazine points out that eating a 40-gram portion of Naturaplan oat flakes already exceeds the maximum permitted quantity.

The worst in the test turn out to be oat flakes of the following brands:

  • Fortina (Lidl)
  • Coop Price Guarantee
  • Denner
  • follow

These did not contain the same amount of mycotoxins as the bio brand reported above but, in addition to too much nickel, traces of the chlormequat chloride pesticide in doses greater than 0,1 milligrams per kilogram.



Chlormequat is a growth regulator that is used with the aim of keeping plants short so that the stems do not bend and become damaged in strong winds. A substance that, however, in some research on animals has shown the ability to interfere with fertility and healthy births.

Nickel in oat flakes

There is a separate discussion on the nickel contained in oat flakes. This metal is found naturally in the cereal from which the grains are obtained first and then the flakes as the plants absorb it from the soil.

Therefore, up to a certain amount it is tolerated but, even if you are not hypersensitive to this substance (see nickel allergy), it is still necessary to be careful as an excess of nickel can accumulate in the body creating problems.


Again, the European Food Safety Authority has set a limit not to be exceeded: 2,8 micrograms of nickel per kilo of body weight.


The magazine found that this amount is exceeded by eating only one serving of oats of 6 out of 12 samples.

Fonte: K-Tipp

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