Everyone knows that hands should be washed with soap. And it is advisable to do this more often. Especially before meals. But if we wash our hands with soap, it means that simply rinsing with water does not make them clean. But what about fruits and vegetables in this case? Is it really necessary to wash cucumbers, tomatoes, dill, potatoes and even strawberries with soap? And for that matter, maybe you should wash all store-bought goods before putting them on the refrigerator shelf? Experts do not have a consensus on this matter. Still, let's try to figure it out.
Unwashed food can cause serious illness
- 4.1 The dirtiest foods of 2022
Why wash fruits and vegetables?
If you have been to a village, then you know that no one there really stands on ceremony with washing the fruits and vegetables collected in the garden. As a child, I often spent summers in the village with my grandparents. They grew so many things in their garden - cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, carrots - the list could go on for a very long time. And somehow it was self-evident to pick carrots from the garden bed, shake them off a little of the dirt and eat them. I’m silent about berries and fruits - you understand. But if this is so, then why wash fruits and vegetables?
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There are actually several reasons why it is important to rinse all fruits and vegetables with water. Firstly, no one likes to eat dirt; at the very least, it squeaks unpleasantly on the teeth. But something else is even more important - today not everyone has their own garden, where you can safely grow a wide variety of vegetables and fruits and be sure that they have not been sprayed with any pesticides. And many pesticides are known to be hazardous to health.
However, experts say the most important reason for washing vegetables and fruits is protection from disease. Food and Drug Administrations give different numbers in different countries, but at least 48 million people get sick each year from contaminated food. The purpose of washing vegetables and fruits is to reduce the number of bacteria and not fall victim to, for example, E. coli or salmonella.
This is what salmonella looks like under a microscope
Let us note that the general public usually hears about large outbreaks, but isolated cases of infection from eating unwashed fruits and vegetables occur much more often. And on any scale. But that's not all. Experts note that vegetables and fruits should be washed immediately before consumption or preparation. The fact is, storing washed food creates an ideal moist habitat for bacteria to grow. Too much moisture can cause fruits and vegetables to spoil faster.
Risks
Sometimes fresh produce contains pathogens such as salmonella, E. coli or listeria. Some people are more vulnerable to foodborne illnesses than others.
People who are at risk of food poisoning from foods:
- children under 5 years of age
- pregnant women
- adults aged 65 years and older
- people with weakened immune systems
Symptoms of foodborne illness may include:
- stomach cramps
- diarrhea, which may be bloody
- vomit
- fever
- headache
- muscle pain
Severe listeria infections can also cause:
- neck stiffness
- confusion
- loss of balance
- convulsions
How to wash fruits and vegetables?
So, the main question is: is it enough to simply rinse fruits and vegetables with water or should you do it with soap? This is where the opinions of experts differ. The fact is that soap or other products can remain on food, and their effect on the human body has not yet been well studied.
Therefore, the best way is to wash vegetables and fruits with water, using a special brush and a small amount of baking soda. However, before you start washing food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. This will at least ensure that germs from your hands do not get into fresh food. When washing, use running water and rub fruits and vegetables vigorously with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms. For hard-skinned foods, you can use a vegetable brush to thoroughly clean the surface.
In the photo, finger tomatoes are taking a shower
Tips for washing fruits and vegetables
- Do not wash vegetables and fruits with hot water. It may allow some microorganisms to enter the food.
- Do not wash berries long before you plan to eat them. The porous nature of the berries increases the likelihood of moisture retention and mold growth.
- Rinsing the fruit under the kitchen faucet can remove dirt. But many studies show that adding baking soda to water is the best way to remove pesticide residue.
- To kill bacteria, use a vegetable brush to wash thick-skinned produce and discard the outer leaves of leafy green vegetables such as kale and lettuce before washing.
- Experts advise making your own vegetable wash - you can fill a clean kitchen sink with cold water and add 4 tablespoons of baking soda. In the sink, fruits and vegetables should be soaked in cold water and left for five minutes, after which they should be dried thoroughly. The exception is berries or other soft fruits and vegetables that may become too wet. They also need to be washed, but this must be done quickly.
Why you need to wash fresh food
Regardless of the global pandemic, properly washing fresh fruits and vegetables is a good practice to minimize the ingestion of potentially harmful surface substances and germs.
Many people touch fresh produce before purchasing it at the grocery store or farmers market. It's safe to assume that not every hand touching fresh produce was clean.
Since everyone is quite active when shopping, it's also safe to assume that most of the fresh produce you purchase has been coughed, sneezed and breathed on.
Properly washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them can greatly reduce the substances that may remain on them when they move into your kitchen.
What to remember
Washing fresh fruits and vegetables is a proven method of removing germs and unwanted residues from surfaces before consuming them.
The dirtiest vegetables and fruits
However, the most important thing to pay attention to is the “dirty dozen”. The Dirty Dozen is a list of vegetables and fruits compiled by the Environmental Working Group. The list ranks fruits and vegetables according to how likely they are to contain pesticide residues.
The dirtiest foods of 2022
More than 90% of samples of strawberries, apples, cherries, spinach, nectarines and kale tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides. Some cabbage samples showed the presence of about 18 different pesticides.
Grapes require especially careful washing
In other words, you need to pay close attention to washing any product on the list.
You can find out which products are good for your health on our Yandex.Zen channel.
Let's sum it up
Maintaining good food hygiene is an important health habit. Washing fresh produce helps minimize germs and surface residue that can make you sick.
Recent concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic have many wondering whether it would be better to use more aggressive methods for washing fresh produce, such as using soap or commercial cleaners.
Medical professionals agree that it is neither recommended nor necessary—and may even be dangerous. Most fruits and vegetables will need to be washed with cool water and lightly wiped before eating.
Foods with more layers and surface area can be washed more thoroughly by placing it in a bowl of cold water to remove any dirt particles.
Fresh fruits and vegetables offer many beneficial nutrients and should be consumed, but only if safe cleaning methods are used.
How to wash food? Council of the Ministry of Health
It would seem that for such a simple procedure as washing vegetables and fruits, there is a lot of information in this article. However, before you start furiously pouring baking soda into the fruit and veg sink, don't forget that government guidelines for washing produce are quite simple:
Wash your hands with soap and water, rinse food before cleaning and scrub lightly while holding it under running water. Use a vegetable brush to wash thick-skinned produce.
Pesticides
Most produce contains pesticide residue even after washing. Researchers say more than 99% of the products they tested had pesticide residues.
Foods that contain high levels of pesticides:
- asparagus
- fresh cranberries
- cucumbers
- cabbage
- onion
- peas
- sweet potato
People who want to avoid pesticides can buy certified organic products. Farmers must use certain pesticides as pest control. For example, natural microorganisms, plant-based insecticides, and some approved synthetic substances are permitted.
Home remedies:
- Baby soap without additives, dyes or flavors.
- Lemon juice + soda. For the “cleaning agent”, mix a spoonful of baking soda and a spoonful of lemon juice in a glass of water. Next, pour the solution into a clean bottle with a spray bottle, spray it on the fruit, wait 2-3 minutes and rinse in the usual way. After use, put the product in the refrigerator.
- Vinegar. We take the product in half with plain water, stir, wash the fruits in the solution and rinse under running tap. Helps remove wax and disinfect.
- Salt. For 1 liter of water – 4 tbsp/l of regular salt.
- Hydrogen peroxide. With its help, you will not only clean the fruit, but also disinfect it. The product is used simply: per container of water - 1 tbsp.
To stay alive and healthy, remember the rules for washing greens:
- We remove the roots, the lower part of the stems (note - nitrates settle in them) and rotten parts.
- Thoroughly wash away any visible dirt under the tap.
- Now soak the greens in salted water (1 tbsp salt per 1 liter) for 15 minutes. All dirt will settle at the bottom of the dish.
- Next, we don’t drain the water (!) , but carefully take out the greens and put them in a colander. Then we rinse it again (thoroughly!) and only then cut it into a salad.
What else do you need to remember?
- The main danger is hidden between the leaves and at the junction of the stem with the branches (for example, helminth eggs or remains of soil with fertilizers).
- Salad celery can be soaked in cold water for an hour and a half and then rinsed.
- First immerse the nettle in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, and then cool it under running water.
- We wash green salad especially thoroughly (according to statistics, they are most often “poisoned” with it). It is recommended to separate each sheet, tear off part of its base and then rinse especially thoroughly on both sides until the feeling of “slippery” disappears - that is, until it squeaks.
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When to wash your hands
Hand washing should be a good habit: always after using the toilet, before eating and before preparing food (if we come into contact with raw meat, poultry or fish, we wash our hands after preparing food).
It is important to always wash your hands after returning home (from work, from the store, from a trip, etc.). After using a handkerchief and covering our mouth when coughing or sneezing, after contact with animals and sick people, after taking out garbage, changing a diaper (for both children and adults), whenever we have contact with blood, urine, feces or vomiting.
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How to wash various vegetables - instructions for the housewife
Each vegetable has its own processing method!
For example…
- White cabbage. As a rule, they don’t even wash it. Simply remove 2-3 layers of leaves from it (until clean and fresh), and then cut out the stalk. It was 20-25 years ago that children considered cabbage stalks a delicacy and waited for their mother to start “cutting” the cabbage. Today, the stalk is an unambiguous source of nitrates (it is in it that they are collected).
- Cauliflower. We clean all the darkened areas on this vegetable with a knife (or a vegetable grater), and then separate it into inflorescences and lower it into salted water for 10 minutes so that all the worms that adore cauliflower float to the surface.
- the kohlrabi and remove its skin.
- Artichokes. From these vegetables, the stem is first cut off, then all damaged leaves are removed, and only after that they are washed in running water, setting aside the baskets and bases of the artichoke leaves for preparing lunch (note - the rest is not eaten).
- Root vegetables (note: horseradish and radishes, carrots and potatoes, beets, etc.) are first soaked in warm water and then the soil is brushed off with a brush. Next, rinse in warm and then in cold water, and then remove the peel.
- from the corn and then rinse it under the tap.
- cucumbers and tomatoes (as well as legumes, eggplants, peppers and squash) briefly in cold water (if you suspect nitrates, you can use salted water), then rinse under the tap.
- Asparagus is usually peeled in a wide bowl and with a sharp knife, starting from the head of the vegetable and along its base. Immediately after cleaning, rinse thoroughly under the tap.
Boiling
Many harmful chemicals are found on the peel of citrus fruits. Oranges, tangerines, grapefruits and lemons have to travel a really long way before they hit the store shelves. Therefore, fruit producers apply strict measures to ensure that products are transported without damage.
We don't eat citrus fruits with the peel on, so what's the problem? Remember that when you peel fruit, you are touching the top layers with your hands. From here there is a short path to the mouth, and from there to the organs and systems. To avoid chemical poisoning, always peel the fruits by boiling them before eating them. Just put citrus fruits in boiling water for a couple of seconds.
