Breaking
FoodNerdy Recipes Management System
Tag

pesticides

Browsing
Cooking Tips

Washing Fruit Properly: What to Do About Pesticides on the Skin?

You should wash fruit before eating it – especially fruit from conventional agriculture, because it is almost always contaminated with pollutants. We show you effective tips and home remedies.

Pollutants are everywhere

In conventional agriculture, pesticides are used as standard to combat pests, diseases and weeds – the consumption of which is usually also harmful to human health. Fruit and vegetables are also treated for transport so that they survive the long journey undamaged. You can find more information about pesticides here.

Consumers will therefore find food in the supermarket that is not suitable for immediate consumption, but should first be washed thoroughly. Although within the EU certain maximum residue levels of pesticides may not be exceeded, smaller amounts are almost always present.

In 2020, the Oldenburg Food and Veterinary Institute tested 79 samples of apples, of which only those from organic cultivation showed no residues of pesticides. Even if the EU only assumes a health-damaging effect above a certain value, the following still applies: the fewer pollutants, the better. We will show you what is important when washing fruit and vegetables.

Wash or peel fruit?

Most of the pesticide residues are on the skin of the fruit. So is it better to peel the fruit?

While this would actually be the most effective way to remove pesticide residues. However, most of the vitamins are also found in the peel. It is therefore advisable to wash the fruit well and eat the peel as well. Because it is precisely the peel that makes the fruit really healthy.

With organically grown fruit and vegetables, you can safely eat the peel after washing. You can read about the requirements that foodstuffs must meet under the EU organic seal in another article.

Wash fruit properly: This is how you remove the pesticide residues

Pesticide residues are mainly found on the skin. You have to wash them off before you eat them. However, some pesticides also penetrate under the peel and are not removed by simply washing.

For fruit with an edible skin, you should wash the fruit thoroughly under warm running water and then rub dry with a kitchen towel. The water jet and vigorous rubbing already removes a large part of the pesticides. Rubbing the apple quickly on the trouser leg, on the other hand, is of little use, as this only removes some dust and dirt on the surface. With more sensitive fruits such as berries or apricots, you have to be a little more careful when patting dry.

In general, only wash fruit just before eating it. Because fruits are surrounded by a natural protective layer. The water will damage it and the fruit will spoil faster.

Homemade fruit and vegetable cleaner

You can remove pesticides even more reliably than with water with a household remedy, namely with commercially available baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). This is according to a 2017 study at the University of Massachusetts. The scientists washed the apples treated with the fungicide thiabendazole and the pesticide phosmet in three different ways – with chlorine bleach, a baking soda solution and with tap water.

The baking soda and water mixture removed most of the pesticides on the skin, provided the baking soda solution was allowed to sit on the fruit for around 15 minutes. However, pollutants that had penetrated the skin of the apples were less successful in removing them with this method.

Washing fruit with a baking soda solution before eating is an effective way to remove pesticide residues. However, this means quite a lot of effort for a piece of fruit, especially the 15-minute waiting time. If you want to be on the safe side, organic products are still the best choice.

What you should also consider: Five tips for pesticide-free fruit

The easiest and most effective way to avoid pesticides is to buy organic fruit. There, chemical-synthetic pesticides are forbidden in cultivation.
Even if you peel the fruit, you should still wash it first. Because if you cut it up or peel it, pollutants on the peel get into the pulp. This applies, for example, to citrus fruits, avocados or melons.
Buy local and seasonal fruits and vegetables whenever possible. In this way you avoid long transport routes, for which the food is additionally treated. Fruit from the EU is also usually subject to stricter requirements with regard to the pesticides used. We help you to find regional products.
Avoid cleaning with dish soap. You get rid of a little more pesticides this way than just rinsing your fruit with water. However, residues from dishwashing detergent can also be harmful to health.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Mixture of Pesticides Found in German Apples

Apples are full of vitamins and minerals – every child is taught that. But in addition to the health-promoting ingredients, Greenpeace has now also found a number of different pesticides in the conventional apple harvest.

Greenpeace tests fruit

The environmental organization Greenpeace took a closer look at conventional apples from eleven European countries and tested them for their pesticide content. On the German market, 33 conventional apple samples and six apples from organic cultivation were examined. The samples for the German apples from 2015 were taken from Aldi, Alnatura, Basic, Edeka, Metro, Lidl, and Rewe.

The result

The sobering result of the study shows that no pesticide residues could be detected in only four of the conventional samples. The apples from the organic range, on the other hand, were completely unpolluted. Although the measured values ​​found were all below the legally permissible maximum amounts, they are not entirely harmless.

In its study, Greenpeace was able to detect up to seven different active ingredients in just one apple. So far, however, little is known about the interactions between the various pesticides.

Is there a pesticide tax now?

“Retailers, politicians, and producers must work together to reduce the use of toxins,” demands environmental scientist Christiane Huxdorff. According to the Greenpeace agriculture expert, one way of restricting spraying with poison in conventional fruit cultivation is a corresponding tax on pesticides.

The calculation is simple: the more expensive the pesticides, the less they are used. The cultivation of organic food already shows that spraying fruit and vegetables is not necessary at all. A rethink is urgently needed here.

Keep Reading
By
Food

For Fruit and Vegetables: How To Remove Pesticides Correctly

Pesticides are hazardous to health and should not be absorbed into our bodies if possible. That’s why you should always clean fruit and vegetables properly – even if you don’t eat the peel.

Pesticides on fruits and vegetables: where are they used?

These are various chemical-synthetic substances that are toxic to very specific organisms. Herbicides are used against weeds, fungicides are used against fungi and so-called insecticides are used against insects. In Europe alone, around 290 different substances are permitted. Of course, in conventional agriculture there are strict regulations regarding the amount and type of use of pesticides.

These are EU maximum values ​​that must not be exceeded. Therefore, most fruits and vegetables contain only small amounts of residues, but in which combination and with what effects on the body remains questionable.

In order to avoid the intake of harmful substances as much as possible, you should always remove pesticides from your fruit and vegetables.

How do you properly remove pesticides?

If you want to thoroughly rid your fruits and vegetables of pesticides, there are two simple methods:
Wash fruits and vegetables carefully under running water and rub them well with a cloth. This removes even more residue. Also wash varieties with skin that we don’t eat (citrus fruits, melons, pumpkins, bananas), because when you cut them up, residues and dirt can get straight from the skin to the inside of the pulp and be eaten.
However, the most effective method is provided by an American study from 2017: Scientists from the University of Massachusetts found that you can use water mixed with baking soda or baking soda for cleaning. It is much more thorough and removes almost all pesticides. However, you will need to leave your fruit and veg in the solution for about 15 minutes. Here are the exact instructions: Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 200 ml of tap water. Mix both together briefly and add the fruit.

The safest way to avoid using pesticides is to buy organic fruits and vegetables. Organically grown vegetables and fruits can be eaten with their skins without hesitation, as chemical-synthetic pesticides are generally not permitted in organic farming.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Berries, Peppers & Kiwi Contaminated with Pesticides

Berries are a great refreshment in summer and so healthy – if they are not contaminated with pesticide residues. Unfortunately, the colorful minis regularly exceed the maximum residue levels of pesticides that are set for them. However, the berries are not alone in this, as the current shopping basket monitoring shows.

Shopping cart monitoring from 2014

The Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) has now published the current report of the “National Report on Pesticide Residues in Food 2014”. From this, it can be seen, among other things, that the quota for exceeding the maximum content of pesticide residues in German products has risen slightly to 1.9 percent.

Exceeding the limit values ​​detected

However, there are differences in the foods affected, as the BVL President Dr. Helmut Tschiersky explains: “While there have been hardly any or no limit value violations for some crops such as asparagus, headed cabbage, and pears for years, other crops such as soft fruit or peppers can always be found in the list of crops with the most exceedances.”

In 2014 blackberries, with an exceedance rate of 10.8 percent, and raspberries, with a rate of 6.5 percent, were particularly negative when it came to exceeding the maximum values ​​for pesticide residues. The berries are closely followed by mangoes (8.3 percent exceeding), tea (7.0 percent exceeding), and kale (6.5 percent exceeding).

A wide variety of pesticide residues were also found in the otherwise rather inconspicuous pumpkin (5.2 percent exceedances) as part of the shopping basket monitoring in 2014. Kiwis were just as conspicuous, with 2.2 percent exceeding the limit value. “Solutions have to be found for these crops that can reduce the burden,” says Tschiersky.

Contamination of food

In 2014, around 19,500 food samples were examined for pesticide residues in the laboratories for the purpose of shopping basket monitoring, and more than 5.8 million analysis results were generated.

Conspicuous foods from the previous year’s investigations are examined more frequently and with a larger number of samples in the following. As a result, the find of pesticide residues is disproportionately large. The average contamination of products with too high a residue level is therefore significantly lower.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Bananas are Heavily Contaminated with Pesticides

Bananas are healthy, keep you full for a long time, and contain many vitamins. But the seals on the fruit are misleading – according to Oko-Test, questionable residues of pesticides were found in some samples. EAT SMARTER shows you how the bananas cut off and what you should look out for when buying.

Oko-Test examined various bananas for around 600 different pesticides. Since the yellow fruit is considered a “pesticide champion”. Planes fly over the plantations several times a week, spraying pesticides and chemicals.

Not only the bananas absorb these toxins, but also the soil, water, and workers. Unfortunately, the simple workers on the plantations do not have appropriate protective clothing. These poor working conditions make many of the workers ill. This was confirmed by a study by the Vienna Doctors’ Initiative.

The interviewed plantation workers often suffer from dizziness, vomiting, burning eyes, skin irritation, severe fatigue, and insomnia. Organic plantation workers have these symptoms much less frequently. And in further DNA tests, the doctors found evidence of an increased risk of cancer among plantation workers.

Oko-Test only recommends organic bananas

According to the Öko-Test, the supermarket bananas are real “chemical clubs”. 22 different bananas were examined in the test. Only the organic bananas scored “Good” or “Very Good”. All bananas without the organic seal failed completely or received a bad rating. The results at a glance:

  • The BananaFair bananas certified by Naturland did particularly well: They are pesticide-free and Fairtrade certified.
  • Organic bananas from Lidl and Netto as well as from Edeka and Denn’s supermarket also received a “very good”.
  • The organic bananas from Kaufland and Aldisüd were also rated well but received a deduction for being wrapped in plastic.

These bananas failed the eco-test

  • Chiquita bananas were rated “Poor” because they are heavily contaminated with pesticides and workers work in poor conditions
  • Bananas without the organic seal at Netto, Rewe, Penny, and Kaufland also received a poor rating due to high levels of pesticides

So which bananas can you buy?

When buying bananas, rely on the organic seal – and ideally also on the fair trade seal.

Oko-Test classified the Rainforest Alliance label as insufficient because it neither guaranteed workers a minimum price nor did all toxic pesticides appear on the organization’s banned list. The test also detected pesticides in some bananas with the Rainforest Alliance seal. Stiftung Warentest has also criticized this seal for not being very meaningful.

If you still buy conventional bananas, be sure to wash your hands after peeling. Children should only be given the fruit peeled.

Keep Reading
By
Food

Is it Better to Buy Organic? These Foods in Particular are Contaminated With Pesticides

Is organic food really treated with fewer pesticides or are there products where the conventional version is just as good?

Better to go organic for these foods

There are foods where it can make sense to buy the organic version. They include:
Fruits and vegetables – there is a low exposure to pesticides here
Meat – the quality is higher with organic products
Native oils – they contain valuable ingredients
ready meals
whole grain products
When it comes to fruit and vegetables, you can use the sensitivity of the products as a guide: In the case of rather more sensitive foods, it is often worth reaching for organic products. These are often less contaminated with pollutants. This applies, for example, to pears, berries, peppers and lettuce.

Which pesticides are used? Are they harmful?

Pesticides are often used by farmers to protect their crops from insects and weeds on the one hand, but also to prevent fungal infestation on the other. There are both chemical and biological pesticides that farmers can use. In conventional agriculture there are around 270 active ingredients that are approved. Their use has a rather negative impact on various areas. The pesticides can get into other biotopes and water bodies through air or rain and pose a threat to nature there. One result can be the impoverishment of the plant world, and the insects and birds living there are also deprived of their livelihood.

In organic farming, these chemical-synthetic pesticides are prohibited. Natural pesticides are used, which are also biodegradable. Examples would be copper, sulfur or beeswax. However, that does not mean that these pesticides cause less damage. In contrast to chemical pesticides, natural pesticides not only work in specific areas, but over a wider area, which in turn can harm other living beings.

Nevertheless, the biological pesticides are a better alternative, since far fewer of them are permitted, which minimizes the negative impact on nature overall. Many organic farmers also turn to natural methods to protect their crops.

Can you still buy “non-organic”?

Even if it can make sense to use the organic version for some foods, some products that have been produced conventionally perform just as well.

Dairy products – some products were even able to convince with a better result
Fish – even conventional fish was able to keep up well with the organic alternative
Refined oils – in addition to the quality, for example, the lower price could also impress
Side dishes – for example with pasta, the conventional alternative is completely sufficient
Luxury foods – every second conventional product was convincing here
Vegetables that grow underground are also less contaminated by pesticides, so conventional alternatives can also be used here. In addition, it almost always makes sense to use seasonal goods, as these are usually less contaminated.

Conclusion: is organic really better?

Overall, therefore, it cannot be assumed that organic products are always the better choice. Most of the conventionally produced foods are also of high and good quality in terms of pesticide exposure. Here you can make your choice depending on the food. With regard to the environment, however, it can make sense to use organic products and to pay attention to the various seals, since the production of these foods is often less of a burden on nature.

Keep Reading
By