Fruits and vegetables are an essential part of healthy diets, but it’s important to know that these raw produce can expose you to harmful germs.
Consumption of contaminated fruits and vegetables can increase the risk of foodborne illness, according to the Food and Drug Administration, as there have been alarming outbreaks over the past few years of contaminated lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and cantaloupe.
The list of potentially harmful pesticides used to preserve produce has caused so much concern that there is an annual ranking of the products containing the most pesticides called the “Dirty Dozen.”
“Just think about the journey that fruits and vegetables make from the farm, to the truck, to the grocery store, to the hands of other people who may have touched them and checked them for doneness, all the way to your cart,” says Carissa Galloway, a registered dietitian, protein nutrition consultant, and personal trainer. Speaking to CNBC.
Also think about the different germs and pathogens you come into contact with, as well as the environment in which they grow and are exposed to things like dirt.
So, to protect yourself from eating contaminated fruits and vegetables, the FDA strongly encourages you to clean your produce before eating them.
But what does it entail to properly clean fruits and vegetables? Here’s what experts, including Galloway, suggest.
3 simple steps to properly clean fruits and vegetables.
Before and after cleaning your produce, you should always wash your hands well and clean the preparation materials you will be using, including cutting boards and utensils. Once you are ready to start the process of cleaning fruits and vegetables, follow these steps.
– Place the product in the sink under cold water.
– Use a clean paper towel to remove all grit and dirt from the product. You can use a clean brush designated only for cleaning products in this step.
– Dry the produce with a paper towel if you don’t plan to eat it right away to preserve freshness. For leafy greens, using a salad spinner in the drying process can also be helpful.
The CDC recommends additional steps, such as cutting off any damaged parts of produce and removing bruised or torn leaves from heads of lettuce or cabbage, because they are likely to have more germs or dirt on them.
Galloway adds that while some produce can be washed days before use, keep in mind that some fruits and vegetables, like berries and tomatoes, should be washed immediately before consumption so they don’t spoil faster.
According to Galloway, there are other options and theories for washing fruits and vegetables, but the best option really is to simply wash the produce under cold water. The CDC agrees with her in this regard. Although you may hear a lot about using commercial detergents, soaps or washes for produce, the agency does not recommend them for cleaning fruits and vegetables. While using baking soda or vinegar to clean products has also become common, it is not necessary, according to Galloway. Baking soda and vinegar can affect the safety of the product by causing it to spoil faster or taste different.
For her part, nutritionist Dr. Nevin Bashir does not agree with what previous experts said. She told An-Nahar that, “If we are reassured that the source of the vegetables and fruits we buy is organic, we can suffice with washing them with cold water only.”
But in countries like ours, “this matter is not guaranteed,” as not all vegetables and fruits are free of pesticides, chemicals, dust, and dirt.
Therefore, to ensure that vegetables and fruits are washed properly, there are three ways, according to Bashir: soaking them for 20 minutes with sea salt or Himalayan salt, or soaking them in vinegar and water for 20 minutes, then washing them well with water, or soaking them in water with bicarbonate for 20 minutes. Minutes and washed well with water.
Regarding the effectiveness of the traditional methods that housewives follow in washing vegetables, such as using vinegar and salt, Bashir says that we are returning to the roots, as using these methods is effective in killing insects and germs from raw products.
If we want to keep pace with development, there is a device in which these vegetables are placed and which removes all impurities, “but no one uses it in their home.”
Regarding fruit and vegetable sterilization tablets, Bashir commented that they contain chlorine, so it is preferable to choose a natural sterilizer for cleaning raw products because the deposits of these chemical tablets have negative side effects on the body, especially if they are absorbed by cells. Then they pose a danger and expose people to cancer if they are used for long periods of time and permanently.
2024-02-21 13:22:00
#healthy #ideal #wash #fruits #vegetables.. #water
