You probably know better than to eat a strawberry straight from of the carton without washing it. Fruits and veggies are often coated in harmful pesticides to ward off pests when they’re growing. These chemicals are not exactly safe for human consumption either.
And while you probably rinse off your produce in a colander before eating it, new research suggests even a thorough wash with water isn’t enough to properly get rid of all the pesticides.
In new study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Nano Letters, experts found that simply washing your fruits and vegetables in the sink “cannot wholly remove pesticides” because they can actually “penetrate the peel layer into the pulp layer.”
That doesn’t, however, mean you are destined to a life of pesticide-ridden apples and oranges. They advise to avoid eating the peel.
“Rather than fostering undue apprehension, the research posits that peeling can effectively eliminate nearly all pesticide residues, contrasted with the frequently recommended practice of washing,” study co-author Professor Dongdong Ye said.
According to food scientist and author of 150 Food Science Questions Answered, Dr. Bryan Quoc Le, the pesticides left behind on the skin of produce are fat-soluble, which basically just means they aren’t as easy to get rid of.
“Most commercial [produce] operations already wash or rinse their produce for distribution and sale. However, effective treatments for removing the vast majority of pesticides [include] peeling, rinsing in chemical treatments, and blanching,” Dr. Le tells Delish. “Other potential methods for reducing pesticide levels are pickling and fermentation, as microorganisms and acids help to decompose pesticides into harmless molecules over time.”
If you’re not planning to peel your fruit and vegetables, he suggests soaking the produce in a solution of salt, a solution of baking soda, or a solution of vinegar. “[This] will help to remove many of the pesticides found in produce.”
While the recent study has raised awareness regarding the issue, it’s actually not new information.
“This issue has been known for quite some time in the research literature, as the waxy layers of produce hold on to pesticides and are very difficult to remove using water alone,” he says. “Other agents are needed to effectively remove the waxy layers. However, peeling remains the most effective way to remove a large concentration of pesticides.”
While you’re not going to die over one unwashed blueberry, long-term pesticide consumption can increase your risk of cancer and cause birth defects, fertility issues, neurodegenerative disease, and immune system disease, according to Dr. Le.
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