Leek is a dish I really like to eat, it tastes delicious and delicious, rich in protein, vitamins and trace elements such as calcium, iron, zinc, etc., whether it is dumplings, making pies or making stir-fry dishes are loved by Chinese. Chinese medicine believes that leeks have the effect of warm appetizing, tonifying the kidneys and helping the yang, invigorating the blood, and dispersing the stasis. Contains a large number of vitamins and dietary fiber, can well enhance gastrointestinal peristalsis, treatment of constipation, prevention of bowel cancer, the trace elements it contains zinc, potassium, iron can maintain human immunity, the prevention of heart disease, hypertension, improve anemia effect is good. However, such a popular vegetable has frequently reported negative news that pesticide residues exceed the standard in recent years, and it is rumored that leeks are "soaked" by pesticides, so that the masses smell "leeks" discolored and avoid them. So, why are the leek residues in the market high, can they still be eaten, and how to choose leeks is safer.
Leek eggs
1. Why are leeks prone to pesticide residues exceeding the standard
If pesticides are used in accordance with national regulations, the pesticide residues in leeks are very low and relatively safe. However, if the illegal use of drugs, such as: overdosing, over-frequency use of drugs or failure to comply with the safety interval of pesticide use, etc., pesticide residues will be more serious.
First of all, leeks have a major insect pest called leek maggots, also called root maggots or leek maggots, which are the larvae of the leek late-eyed mushroom mosquito, these larvae mainly live in the root bulbs or young leaves of leeks, the light causes the leek yellow leaves to lodging, and the heavy ones die in large areas, resulting in reduced production. Generally, foliar spraying pesticides are ineffective against leeks, so many vegetable farmers will use large doses of pesticides, and even highly toxic, high-residue systemic organophosphorus pesticides repeatedly "root" to achieve the effect of killing leek maggots. Organophosphorus pesticides are toxic, cheap, and can also promote the development of leek roots, with a certain effect of phosphate fertilizer, can make leeks grow stronger, thick leaves, green color, appear very fat, vegetable farmers are happy to use. Therefore, usually the more the leeks that use the highly toxic pesticide "root irrigation" are, the more pleasing the growth, and the leaves are very green and beautiful. Secondly, leeks are a root plant that grows relatively fast, and will grow again soon after harvesting a stubble. Generally, pesticides will degrade themselves after about 15-20 days of use, so the state stipulates that pesticides are not allowed to be used 15-20 days before the harvest of leeks. However, if the vegetable farmers, in order to maintain the freshness of the leeks, do not let the leeks be eldered, use pesticides in large doses in violation of the law, or harvest less than 20 days after the use of pesticides, it is likely to cause the pesticides absorbed in the leeks to not decompose, and the residues exceed the standard.
2. Can the leeks in the market still be eaten
In recent years, on the one hand, the state has increased the pesticide residue testing of vegetables and fruits on the market, and vegetables and fruits have passed the rapid detection of pesticide residues before entering the farmers' market or large supermarkets; on the other hand, vegetable farmers are also aware of the seriousness of pesticide residue problems, and have begun to use some low-toxicity, low-residue and fast-degrading pesticides to replace high-toxicity and high-residue organophosphorus pesticides, and pay attention to complying with the safety interval. Therefore, the leeks sold through the regular channels on the market can be purchased and eaten with confidence. If you are still not at ease, but you want to eat leeks, what should you do? In fact, as long as you do the following 3 points:
The first is careful selection: really healthy leeks are not beautiful, and when picking leeks, generally do not pick "beautiful" leeks that appear particularly stout, with particularly thick leaves and oily green.
The second is to wash carefully: because pesticides are easier to decompose under alkaline conditions, the leeks are rinsed several times with water before eating, and then soaked in alkaline water (such as rice water or 1% baking soda) for 5-15 minutes, and then rinsed with water.
The third is to eat a small amount: although the leek is good, it can not eat more, because it contains a lot of crude fiber, eat more easy to diarrhea, a suitable amount of consumption is 100-200 grams, buy less and eat less can reduce the harm of pesticide residues.
In addition, there are also a small number of organic leeks for sale on the market, which are not only expensive, but also look slightly yellowish and not so stout, although they are not good to sell but are safe. Hipsters who pay attention to the quality of life can consider buying leeks with organic food certification or green food certification, so that they can eat more safely.
3. Are pesticide residues terrible?
To say a few digressions, modern agricultural production will use some pesticides and fertilizers to a greater or lesser extent in order to ensure the growth and harvest of crops. It is a popular green food, and some low-toxicity and low-residue pesticides and fertilizers will be used in the production and planting process. Therefore, it is inevitable that there will be some low-toxicity and slightly toxic pesticide residues on the melons, fruits, vegetables and grains and oils that everyone eats every day, but the pesticide residue requirements of green food are more stringent.
However, the harm of pesticide residues is closely related to the intake, China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, market supervision and administration bureau and national health commission and other departments have set the minimum limit standards for pesticide residues for listed fruits, vegetables and grain and oil products, as long as they are within the scope of the standard, generally will not cause harm to the human body. Recent spot checks by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau show that the pass rate of pesticide residue testing for vegetables and fruits in China's market has approached 97%, which is close to the international level. If the pesticide is standardized, it has been strictly tested before marketing, and the residue amount meets the standard, and the impact on health is small, such as products that have been certified by green food are safer. When buying fruits and vegetables, we choose reliable sources and channels, purchase in regular supermarkets or e-commerce platforms, and certify cleaning after returning home without worrying about the harm of pesticide residues.
For lifestyle gurus who pay attention to the quality of life, they can choose to buy organic food certified products from trusted sources. Organic food does not use any synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers in the production process, generally adopt physical pest control or biological control methods to reduce pests and diseases, apply farm manure and microbial bacterial fertilizer to improve crop quality, and use artificial methods to remove weeds. Moreover, there are also strict standards and requirements for the environment of organic food production, including soil, hydrology and air, so that the organic products produced will rarely have pesticide residues.