New research shows that washing fruit is not enough to remove pesticides and other insecticides. This reports The Guardian.
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The scientific study published in the journal Nano letters The American Chemical Society found that rinsing fruit is not enough to remove toxic agricultural chemicals.
“Traditional fruit cleaning methods cannot completely remove pesticides,” the researchers said. New research techniques have shown that pesticides penetrate the skin and can even reach the body. They say that simply washing the peel is not enough.
Poison fears on Dutch fruits and vegetables
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has long been concerned about compliance with legislation on crop protection products. A third of the farmers examined do not comply, as was evident in December 2023. Published Research. The authority said: “The NVWA finds this to be of concern as compliance has not improved for a long time.”
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Another report from PAN Europe also showed a “significant increase” in pesticide use across Europe in 2022. The Netherlands regularly ranks among the top countries for the most hazardous pesticide use, for example when growing apples, pears and cucumbers. The study found that 19% of fruit and vegetables produced in the Netherlands contain too many chemicals.
What should you do about chemicals?
To better protect yourself from harmful pesticides on fruit, it’s important to peel or skin the fruit, according to Chinese researchers. Even for organic produce, peeling can help significantly reduce exposure to pesticides. Although organic produce typically has lower residues, it’s also not completely pesticide-free.
“Rather than spreading unnecessary fear, the study suggests that peeling can actually remove all pesticide residues, rather than the often recommended washing method,” said researcher Dongdong Yi, a professor at China’s Anhui Agricultural University and one of the report’s authors.
