It's an open secret – we are consuming pesticides with our food!
The green revolution made India independent in food production. But it also made us dependent on cancer-causing pesticides. Today, we are reaping the fruits of what we have sown - India has one of the highest cancer rates in the world.
But we are not alone! Pesticide contamination is a global phenomenon that is worrying other countries as well.
In 2014, the globally renowned environmental body EWG released a list of food items which contain the most and the least amount of pesticides in them.
Some of food items tested positive for as much as 67 different chemicals. Quite a cocktail, isn't it? But wait, there's more! The tests were carried out on the samples after they had been properly washed. Surprised? So if you were thinking that your food contamination worries could be washed off with water, know that it's just wishful thinking.
Here, we are reproducing the results of the study.
Some foods contained upto 67 different chemicals
Let's begin with the list of the foods which are most loaded with pesticides and chemicals. You may like to be careful of this club, whom we are calling the Tainted Ones:
- Apples (keep the doctor away, really?)
- Strawberries
- Grapes
- Spinach
- Cucumbers (no longer so cool?)
- Peaches
- Cherry tomatoes
- Lettuce
- Celery
- Potatoes (Et tu, Brute!)
Can Ozone treatment remove pesticides? Check here
Pesticide-free foods
After the shock, here is some relief! The list given below is of farm produce which contained little to no traces of pesticides in them. They are safe to simply wash and consume. They are the Clean Ones:
- Papayas (humble, and honest too!)
- Pineapple
- Onions (is this why they are pricey?)
- Cabbage
- Sweet Peas — Frozen
- Mangoes (Hmmmm!)
- Sweet Corn
- Eggplant (bharta zindabad!)
- Cauliflower
- Sweet Potatoes (some consolation)
With the second list, you'll still have to deal with the germs and all (we'll tell you how). But what about the Tainted Ones, is banning them from the table the only option?
Organic food is expensive
Don't worry! Here are a few suggestions that can help you to bring them all back into your menu, without any harm to your family's health:
1) Opt for organic food (an expensive option)
2) Create a wash by mixing one tablespoon of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of vinegar (both are good disinfectants) and one cup of water. Spray this mixture on the fruits and vegetables and rinse it off. They'll remove the germs and also some amount of chemicals.
3) Use Ozone treatment! Ozonizers, now available in India, are a simple and cheap way to completely remove all traces of pesticides, chemicals and germs from vegetables, fruits and meat. You can have one in your kitchen and enjoy completely safe food, always.
Ozonizers are making their presence felt in the Indian kitchen
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