Many jams contain traces of pesticides, others do not have the legal sugar level. So be careful when choosing your pot. “60 Million Consumers” conducted the survey.
Jam is the guilty pleasure of gourmets, many of them are childhood memories. However, you have to know their composition well, and sometimes you have surprises. Here is an inventory with Patricia Chairopoulos who devoted a file to it in the magazine 60 Million consumers.
franceinfo: When we talk about jams, what does that mean exactly? Is the appellation regulated?
Patricia Chairopoulos : Yes, according to a 1985 decree, jam is an appropriate mixture of fruit pulp and/or puree, sugar and water, made with at least 35 g of fruit per 100 g of finished product, and 55 g of sugar. Below, it is fruit preparation. It is also something else for the marmalade, which is a citrus jam (orange, lemon, etc.) made with more than 20 g of fruit for 100 g of marmalade.
You analyzed 40 products from different brands, did you find any pesticides, for example?
Yes, fifteen different molecules: insecticides and fungicides, knowing that in contaminated products, we found between one and five residues. Above all, four references each contain two residues of pesticides banned for use in Europe. According to the results of our analyses, the strawberry jams are generally correct, more than half of the panel does not contain any trace of pesticide. Probably because their culture, most often above ground, benefits from a relatively well-controlled environment. On the other hand, apricot jams turn out to be more polluted, with 13 jars out of 20 containing one to four pesticide residues. And above all, the banned pesticides were found in four references of this family.
Are these pesticides dangerous for health?
These are carbendazim and thiophanate-methyl, two fungicides with potentially toxic effects. They are likely to cause skin allergies, can damage fertility and are harmful to the environment. The four apricot jams at the bottom of our ranking are the worst on this criterion, even if the quantities found are very low, below the regulatory thresholds. But their presence remains undesirable, because we do not know the cocktail effects of pesticides and especially in children, they can ingest residues over meals.
Let’s add that none of the ten organic jams we tested contains pesticides. And some are not really more expensive than conventional jams
What about sugar?
The jam recipe is simple: fruit and at least 55% sugar, most often beets. Be careful, this sugar counts the added sugar and that of the fruits, mainly fructose. But on the supermarket shelves, it is quite variable: some jams can exceed this content, up to 60% sugar. Overall, strawberry jams are sweeter than apricot jams, for example.
A light jam must contain less than 30% sugar (against 55% for a normal one). Otherwise, the other big difference is its composition: to compensate for the reduction in sugars, manufacturers add water, and above all various additives such as texture agents, preservatives and sometimes also sweeteners. From a sugar point of view, of course, they are better. But you can also choose jams with a high percentage of fruit, which contain a little less sugar.
Is the origin of the fruit always listed on the labels?
Unfortunately not, since it is not mandatory for a processed product. And when it is indicated, it is in most cases of origin outside France (EU / non-EU), which leaves full latitude to the manufacturer! Some jams play the local card, such as apricot jams from Roussillon or strawberry jams from Plougastel.
A final word on pricing. They make the big difference between 2.70 and 14.80 euros per kilo. The best jams of our test, in particular by their composition and the absence of pesticides, are a little more expensive than the average: especially for the three organic apricot jams, at the top of our ranking, which are around 10 euros the kilo. On strawberry jams, the first is a private label, 65% fruit, pesticide-free and at 5.75 euros per kilo
