How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables: The Complete Guide

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Currently, the situation of food containing the amount of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has not been strictly controlled. Therefore, before eating fresh fruits and vegetables, we should wash them with water to remove residues of pesticides and avoid bacteria on the surface. So how is fruit washing considered clean and safe?

1. Why should you wash fruits and vegetables?

Whether there is a global pandemic or not, proper washing of fresh fruits and vegetables is a good practice to practice to minimize the introduction of chemical residues and harmful pathogens into the body. body. In fact, these products are processed by many different stages and processes before reaching consumers. It can be assumed throughout this process that not all hands that touch these fresh produce are clean or have been cleaned prior to touching them. Furthermore, with so many stages of the collection and transportation process, it's also impossible for these fresh produce to be absolutely certain that someone hasn't coughed or sneezed or breathed in them.
Therefore, washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating will help them significantly reduce chemical residues as well as pathogens harmful to health.

2. Ways to wash fruits so that they are clean

Although rinsing fruit and vegetable products with water has long been the traditional method before using them. However, due to the current outbreak of the Covid -19 pandemic, many people ask themselves whether washing with clean water is enough to clean fresh fruits and vegetables.
Some have advocated the use of soap, vinegar, lemon juice or even commercial cleaners marketed as bleaches, disinfectants, and disinfectants in addition to fruit and vegetable cleaning solutions. vegetables before eating.
However, food safety and health experts including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourage consumers to Use clean water to wash food fresh fruits and vegetables. Besides, do not listen to uncensored advice as well as use chemicals to wash these foods.

The reason is that the use of such chemicals can cause further health hazards and they are not necessary or effective in removing harmful residues from the product surface. Furthermore, ingesting commercial cleaning chemicals such as bleach can be deadly, so you should never use these chemicals to clean fresh food.
Besides, substances such as lemon juice, vinegar and washing powder have not been studied yet to be effective in using fruit washing to clean fresh produce compared to plain water. However, there have been some recent studies that suggest that using neutral electrolyte water or using a baking soda solution will work, because fruit washers may be more effective at removing remove certain substances from fresh fruit and vegetable products.

3. How to wash vegetables and fruits with water

Washing fruits and vegetables in cool water before eating them is a good practice when it comes to health hygiene and food safety.
Please note that fresh produce should not be washed until you are ready to eat it. Because if you wash the fruits before, along with the time they are stored, they can create a good environment for bacteria to multiply and grow more.
Before you start washing fresh produce, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Also make sure that any utensils, sinks and surfaces you use to store the product are thoroughly cleaned beforehand.
Before starting to wash fruits and vegetables, remove any bruised or bruised produce. In case, you use some peeled fruits such as oranges, tangerines, grapefruits, wash their skins before peeling to prevent any microorganisms on the surface. of the product enters the flesh of the fruit.

General methods for washing vegetables and fruits :
Firm products such as hard-shelled fruits: apples, lemons and pears, as well as vegetables with skins: potatoes, carrots and radishes . These products may benefit from the use of soft, clean bristles to better remove dirt from their surfaces. Green leafy vegetables such as: spinach, lettuce, Swiss chard, leeks and cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and bok choy should have their outer skins removed, then soak them in a bowl cool water, continue to drain and rinse with clean water. Fragile products such as: berries, mushrooms and other fragile products can be cleaned with a steady stream of water and gentle rubbing with your fingers to remove grit and debris. dirt. Once you have thoroughly rinsed the product, dry it with a clean paper towel or cloth. More fragile products can be placed on a towel and gently patted or rolled around to dry them without damaging them.

Before using these fruits and vegetables, follow the simple steps above to minimize the amount of germs and harmful substances on their surfaces. In short, ensuring food hygiene and safety is a necessary job to ensure health. Furthermore, washing fresh produce helps to reduce parasitic germs and chemical residues on surfaces that can cause illness in users. In addition, recent concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic have led many to wonder if stronger washing methods, such as using soap or commercial detergents on fresh produce, are better. .
Medical professionals agree that this is recommended or necessary and may even be dangerous for the user. Most fruits and vegetables can be adequately cleaned with cool water and light friction just before eating them. For foods with multiple layers, the surface area can be washed more thoroughly to remove dirt particles.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a good source of some healthy nutrients, so it's worth adding them to your daily diet, as long as safe cleaning practices are followed.

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Reference source: healthline.com