November 18, 2023 | 03:00 pm PT
Does washing fruit and greens with water assist take away the pesticides and chemical substances of their peels utterly? (Cling, 38, Hanoi)
Reply:
Pesticides typically reside on the peels of greens and fruit, however they’ll additionally invade into the flesh. Washing greens and fruit with water can’t all the time take away all of the pesticides that lie deep of their flesh. Nevertheless, it’s maybe the one efficient approach.
To ensure the most effective effectivity of greens and fruit washing, it is best to first take away the broken or bruised elements, since these elements are usually extra weak to pesticides and chemical substances.
Fastidiously washing greens and fruit with water is taken into account the one efficient strategy to take away pesticides and different chemical substances on their peels. Picture illustration by Freepik |
Then take away the roots and soak your greens or fruit in chilly water for 5 to 10 minutes. By doing so, the pesticides and chemical substances will slowly be faraway from their floor. It’s also possible to use your arms to rub the outer layer of the greens and the fruit peels to take away the mud, grime, and pesticides right here. Some greens will should be break up in an effort to be higher cleaned.
Lastly, wash your greens and fruit once more beneath an open faucet. This step performs an important half in eradicating the quantity of pesticides, chemical substances, and grime left on the floor of the meals. Attempt to be mild to keep away from inflicting bruises.
Understand that greens which can be consumed uncooked shouldn’t be soaked in water for greater than 10 minutes to keep away from changing into rotten.
It is strongly recommended to buy vegetables and fruit from shops that let you confirm their origins.
Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh
Hanoi College of Science and Expertise’s Institute of Meals Expertise and Biotechnology