How to Remove Pesticides from Food
Pesticides are chemicals that prevent insects, weeds and fungi from damaging crops. Farmers use them to increase the amount of crops they are able to produce.
According to WHO, some of the older, cheaper pesticides can remain for years in soil and water. These chemicals have been banned from agricultural use in developed countries, but they are still used in many developing countries. Pesticides are also potentially toxic to humans. They may induce adverse health effects including cancer, effects on reproduction, immune or nervous systems.
Few of the fruits and vegetables that are said to have highest level of pesticides are:
● Apple
● spinach
● strawberries
● kale
● grapes
● peaches
● tomatoes
● potatoes
● celery
Detrimental effects of using pesticides on the environment:
Few ways to remove pesticides from your fruits and vegetables:
The best way is to use baking soda:
Some reports suggest that using baking soda to soak fruits can reduce the contamination levels by up to 96 percent. All you need to do is to fill a large bowl with water. To this, add a teaspoon of baking soda. Give it a good mix and add the fruits you wish to clean. Let it soak for 12-15 minutes.
Soaking in salt water solution:
This is the most common method used in our Indian households. Research suggests that soaking fruits and vegetables in 10 percent saltwater solution for 20 minutes gets rid of most of the residues from the 4 most common pesticides. But remember that this method isn’t ideal for berries, which can be damaged by the soak and end up tasting of salt.
Peeling off the skin of fruits and veggies:
One of the ways to remove pesticides from food is peeling the external layer of the fruit or vegetable. But make sure you wash your fruits and veggies well before peeling.
Tip: After washing and before storing the fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator, make sure you dry them well or just simply wipe off the extra moisture with a clean towel.
Tags: Pesticides, Cleaning fruits and vegetables, pesticides and environment, ways to remove pesticides, baking soda and pesticide, salt water and pesticide
