▎ WuXi AppTec content team editor
Vegetables and fruits, an essential component of a healthy diet, play an important role in promoting cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of diseases such as cancer.
However, in the process of growing fruits and vegetables, it is inevitable to be affected by pests and diseases, weeds, etc. At this time, spraying or applying pesticides such as insecticides and herbicides is one of the main measures to prevent or combat related violations.
Therefore, on many vegetables and fruits, it is inevitable that there will be pesticide residues. If we don't wash carefully when we eat, it is likely to have a negative impact on health.
So which vegetables and fruits are most susceptible to pesticide residues? And how to clean to minimize pesticide residues? Is there any authoritative data for our reference?
Since 2004, the U.S. Environment Task Force (EWG) has annually ranked pesticide residues from 46 common fruits and vegetables based on test data from more than 45,000 agricultural samples by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), producing "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" lists and updating the results in the annual Shopper's Guide to Pesticide Residues Pesticides in Produce）。
Recently, EWG released the 2022 "Shopping Guide for Pesticide Residues in Agricultural Products". Today, let's take a look at this latest list.
Image credit: 123RF
The "Twelve Dirty" list
According to the guideline data, the first pesticide residue in the "twelve dirty" list is still strawberries. It is worth mentioning that strawberries have been at the top of the list for 6 consecutive years; bell peppers (bell peppers) and peppers have risen from 10th last year to 7th this year.
EWG's list of vegetables and fruits with the highest pesticide residues:
▲"Twelve Dirty" list (content source: reference [1]; drafting: WuXi AppTec content team)
These 12 types of vegetables or fruits have detected many different pesticide residues and contain higher levels of pesticide residues than other vegetables or fruits.
The "fifteen net" list
EWG Agricultural Products with the Lowest Pesticide Residues:
▲"Fifteen Net" list (content source: reference [1]; drafting: WuXi AppTec content team)
The EWG notes that these 15 categories of vegetables or fruits have the lowest levels of pesticide residues, especially avocados and sweet corn, with less than 2 percent of the samples containing detectable pesticide residues.
Can the vegetables and fruits on the "Twelve Dirty" list be eaten?
Seeing this, are you starting to worry about the vegetables and fruits you usually eat, thinking that the vegetables or fruits in the "twelve dirty" list have such high pesticide residues that you can no longer eat them in the future? Or do you think that if you choose fruits or vegetables in the future, you will only dare to choose the "fifteen nets" list?
In fact, there is no need to panic so much. The EWG ranking is primarily determined based on how many pesticide residues are "detectable" in various vegetables or fruits, and the "average content" that does not distinguish between pesticide residue types.
The result of the test is that "at least one pesticide residue can be detected in 70% of vegetables or fruits"; but the vast majority of pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits are far below the safe limit standard. That is to say, the safety of agricultural products on the market does not need to be too worried.
In China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Health Commission and other departments have set minimum standards for pesticide residues for vegetables and fruits sold on the market, as long as we buy vegetables and fruits that meet the minimum standards for pesticide residues, they generally will not cause harm to our health.
Image credit: 123RF
How can I reduce pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits?
Harvard University has found that eating fruits and vegetables with high pesticide residues may reduce the benefits of eating vegetables and fruits themselves, such as weakening the preventive effect of cardiovascular disease.
Therefore, for the sake of health, it is necessary to minimize pesticide residues on vegetables and fruits, and clean them before eating, such as washing, peeling, and blanching.
Cleaning can be done by rinsing with running water and gently rubbing with your hands, so that the external force can remove the pesticide residue on the surface of vegetables and fruits. If you have baking soda at home, you can also use it to wash vegetables and fruits. Simply add a seasoning scoop or soda to the container, soak it for a few minutes, and then rinse it as above, which removes more pesticide residue.
At the same time, most pesticides generally remain on the epidermis of vegetables and fruits, so vegetables and fruits with skins can reduce the surface pesticide residues by peeling. However, peeling will also cause the loss of some nutrients, especially dietary fiber and some vitamins and minerals, which need to be reasonably chosen.
Blanching water is also highly efficient at removing pesticide residues, and some stems and leaves can be used in this way.
All in all, we do not have to worry too much about pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits in daily life, but we must consciously remove pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits, minimize the intake of pesticide residues, balance the diet, and promote good health.