How clean are the fruits and vegetables on your plate? Maybe they are not as safe as you assume...
Many everyday favourites, respected for their nutritional value, particularly those highlighted on the annual Dirty Dozen list, unfortunately may carry unhealthy traces of agricultural chemicals.
From leafy greens to popular fruits, testing has shown varying levels of pesticide residues, raising concerns about routine exposure.
Simple steps like washing, soaking, peeling and careful handling can reduce potential risks.
Food safety authorities, including the FDA, do not support the use of soap, washing-up liquids, or specialist produce cleansers, as there is no evidence that these methods remove pesticides more effectively than plain water.
1. Rinse Vegetables Under Running Water
Thorough rinsing of all fruit and vegetables, even when the peel or skin is not intended for consumption.
Hands should be washed with warm water and soap both before and after rinsing fresh produce.
When washing fruit/veggies, placing items in a colander or channi and running clean water over them is more effective than simply soaking them in a bowl without rinsing later. The stream of water does a better job of dislodging surface residues, as per US-based National Pesticide Information Center.
2. Rubbing And Scrubbing
Health site WebMD offers guidance, via a few simple steps, on reducing dirt and chemical traces on fresh produce.
Fruits like apples can get a little extra treatment: Wash them under running or full-force water while gently rubbing or scrubbing each piece for around 15-20 seconds to remove lingering chemicals.
Softer fruits -- berries and such like -- should be carefully rinsed under a gentle flow of water and then left to dry on clean paper towels afterwards.
3. Soak Vegetables In Solution
Soaking fruits and vegetables that will not disintegrate in clean water for 30-60 minutes and subsequently -- very important -- rinsing several times before use is another option.
Another option is a brief soak in a weak solution made with salt and lime juice, followed by a thorough wash in flowing fresh water, suggests Indian governemnt-run Food Safety and Standards Authority Of India. A mild vinegar mix can also be used, as long as it is rinsed off completely afterwards, adds FSSAI.
4. Peeling Produce
Taking off the outer layer of fruits and vegetables, where possible, can greatly cut down the amount of pesticide residue consumed, as many chemicals tend to remain concentrated on or near the skin, says Healthline.
5. Trimming
If any fruit or vegetable shows signs of bruising or physical damage, those affected sections should be trimmed off before cooking or consumption, helping to avoid eating spoiled or compromised areas, states US Food and Drugs Administration.
6. Tamarind And Ozonated Water Wash
According to FSSAI, vegetables -- carrots, okra (bhindi or lady's finger), eggplant (baingan), cabbage and cauliflower -- can be cleaned using a mild one per cent tamarind wash. Additional methods, FSSAI says might be treatment with ozone gas or immersion in ozonated water. Following this treatment, a prolonged rinse in fresh water should further reduce remnants of chemicals like pesticides.
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