I love eating fruits and cooking with different vegetables! Did you
know fruits and veg have harmful pesticides that cannot be removed with a
simple water wash? With all unreliable sources in Dhaka, it is more difficult
to trust the produce that we eat. The more I read the more shocked I am about
the ways fruits and vegetables are handled in Bangladesh. Other than the
pervasive adulteration of food, excessive use of pesticides, often of poor
quality, in the cultivation phase poses serious threats to human health. A new
study finds that almost one-third of the pesticides used in producing
vegetables and fruits in the country are substandard. (Daily start march 8,
2015)
But I can’t let that keep me from eating my
greens aka green gains! So read on to find out my cheap, easy and healthy way
to clean fruits and veg.
HARMFUL PESTICIDES USED IN BANGLADESH:
- ·
Most of the pesticides used in Bangladesh are toxic according to
WHO classification. The chemical used in Bangladesh is called organophosphate.
In California, USA, the largest number of reported acute systematic illness or
poisoning is caused by organophosphate (UBINIG 1985).
- ·
The research commissioned and published by the BARC, also says that
due to the diminished impact of the pesticides, farmers now have to use
pesticides 10-15 times the prescribed amount for producing fruits and 8-10
times for growing vegetables.
- ·
The presence of
toxic substances in the food samples was three to 20 times the limits set by
the European Union, show test results of the National Food Safety Laboratory
(NFSL). The banned pesticides include DDT
(Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), Aldrin, Chlordane and Heptachlor that are
extremely harmful to humans.
SOLUTION:
This is why I have
to make sure I am eating clean fruits without any chemical residue. Locally
grown fruits such as Boroi (Indian Jujube) are my favorite! (I stopped eating
exported fruits, tell you why later) I love the crunchy and sweet little fruits
but the pesticides and chemicals worry me to death! So here is a simple vinegar and wash to
remove harmful pesticides. But not just fruits, I use this wash for all my
fruits and vegetables.
METHOD:
-Soak fruits and veg
in a mixture of vinegar and water for 15 minutes.
-The mixture should
be 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar 3:1 (don’t worry about getting too
scientific)
-choose a container
that will not over crowd the fruits
BENEFITS:
The
acid in plain white vinegar kills bacteria and helps to dissolve the wax and
pesticide residues found on the skins of many fruits and vegetables. As an
added bonus, this will help some fruits last longer in addition to making them
a healthier option to eat. Dangerous
