It is generally recommended to wash fruits and vegetables before preparing or cooking them. This is especially true of all garden-harvested products bought in bulk from supermarkets or markets. However, the board recommends cleaning this fresh produce with baking soda, especially to remove pesticides. So information or hoax?
Washing fruits and vegetables with baking soda is a health hazard.
The first point that can cause concern among cooks is the effect of baking soda on health. Using anything other than fresh clean water to remove dirt, soil, small insects or traces of pesticides may cause some consumers to be skeptical. However, baking soda is not harmful to your health as long as it is used in small amounts. Moreover, it is often used in cooking (especially in baking to give more volume to the preparations), as well as in the treatment of some everyday ailments, such as heartburn. Ingestion of more than 200 g of powder alone can be dangerous or even fatal for humans. In fact, it is perfectly possible to use baking soda to wash fresh fruits and vegetables. But is it really useful or more effective than the classic wash with a little cold water?
Why use baking soda to properly clean fruits and vegetables?
If daily washing with clean water is the most used, two studies, “Effectiveness of Commercial and Homemade Washing Agents for Removing Pesticide Residues on and in Apples,” published in October 2017, and “Removal of Pesticide Residues in Classic Homegrown Tomatoes. and its impact on product quality,” published in December 2017, highlighted the benefits of washing with baking soda. The researchers conducted several tests with a classic water rinse, a rinse with bicarbonate diluted in water, and a commercially available product. However, they found that washing with baking soda was the most effective at removing most of the pesticides on the surface of the fruit or vegetable.
However, fine powder is not necessary for washing fruits and vegetables. Natural alternatives such as lemon juice, coarse salt or even vinegar can be used as substitutes. The choice to use or not to wash these products is left to the freedom of each person. However, fruits and vegetables should be washed at least once with clean water before consumption. The researchers also note that an effective alternative to removing pesticides is to simply debark them. Moreover, they believe that this is the recommended technique for eliminating potential pesticides in the body of the produce.
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >
Do we prefer to wash fruits and vegetables with plain water or with baking soda?
Depending on the skin thickness of fruits and vegetables, the fact that they are consumed without peeling, and the exposure to pesticides, the two methods can be used in a complementary way. First, soak the product in a bath of cold water and baking soda to remove all harmful elements from the surface. The usage ratio is then two tablespoons of baking soda per 1 liter of water.
Then after this washing is done, it is recommended to wash with clean water for products with hard skin and also use a herbal brush. This is especially true for apples, cucumbers or even potatoes if these foods are prepared or eaten with the skin on. Finally, fruits and vegetables should be dried using absorbent paper or a clean cloth. Although this technique does not remove 100% of the pesticides, it will remove more than 70% of the harmful substances.
Source: Le Figaro
