Fruits and veggies are two of the healthiest food groups on the planet, but when we think of the farming practices that go into cultivating these delicious foods, we can’t help but wonder how safe they are for consumption.
Pesticides are commonly used to control and prevent destructive bugs, harmful weeds and natural plant diseases from destroying crops. Pesticides are also used to add nutrients to the soil. On the surface, pesticides may seem like an excellent way to keep fruits and veggies in peak condition for consumption, however, the bottom line is that pesticides are extremely toxic when ingested.
It may seem that the skin, or the flesh of produce protects the inner fruit from being affected by pesticides, however, this is a common misconception. The skin of fruits and veggies are porous, meaning that there is no airtight barrier to keep pesticides out. Pesticides can penetrate the peel and some pesticides are designed to be absorbed by the interior fruit, due to the fact that some pests can pierce the peel to suck out the inner liquids.
Assistant Professor of food science, Lili He, of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, notes that thicker peels (such as the peel of an cantaloupe and squash), can keep pesticides at bay, however, this isn’t the case for foods such as strawberries, tomatoes and apples.
If you’re worried about the potential risks of pesticides seeping into your food, it may be a good idea to consider buying organic produce. The Environmental Working Group has a handy list, “The Dirty Dozen,” of produce that you should always buy organic, and “The Clean Fifteen” list (a list that has low amounts of residual pesticides) that you can feel safe buying, even if it’s not organic.
When purchasing non-organic produce, be sure to wash your items thoroughly. Dr. He recommends washing fruits such as apples in a solution of baking soda and water for about 15 minutes to effectively remove pesticide residue from the peel. While this method may not entirely remove the pesticides, it can drastically reduce the amount of chemicals remaining on the peel. Naturally waxy produce such as cucumbers and apples have a natural barrier that make it difficult to completely remove the pesticides during washing, according to Dr. Jeffrey Jenkins of the National Pesticide Information Center. This becomes problematic when farmers add another layer of protective wax to the fruits and veggies during shipping to preserve them.
