Fruit & Veg Wash for Harmful Pesticides in Bangladesh

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