Pollutants in fruits and vegetables Better to wash or peel?

Pollution: Should fruits and vegetables be better washed or peeled?

Health experts recommend consuming at least five to ten servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This provides your body with essential vitamins and minerals and thus protects against diseases. However, plant-derived foods sometimes also harbor harmful germs. So should fruits and vegetables be better peeled? Or washed? Experts have some important tips.

Numerous health-promoting ingredients

Again and again it is reported that fruits and vegetables are contaminated with pesticides and other pollutants. However, experts advise against restricting the consumption of plant-based foods. After all, vegetables and fruits are low in calories and contain many health-promoting ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. According to experts, the positive properties of these substances are more important for the long-term maintenance of health than a possible danger from pesticide residues.

Reports about pollutants of fruit and vegetables unsettle many consumers. Does it help to wash the food or do we avoid pesticide residues by completely peeling? (Image: travelbook / fotolia.com)

Reduce intake of pollutants

As the consumer service Bavaria writes in a message, farmers and gardeners use pesticides to protect crops from pests, weeds and plant diseases.

According to the information, about 775 crop protection products are currently authorized in Germany. Even when properly used, residues on the crop are possible.

With the right hygiene measures during the preparation, however, the intake of pollutants can be significantly reduced.

Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly

Thorough washing with cold water removes most of the pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables.

An additional beneficial effect can be achieved by rubbing with microfiber cloths or by brushing - if the fruits allow it.

Hot water or special fruit detergents, on the other hand, provide no additional benefit.

The consumer service points out that with fruit detergents, on the contrary, there is the possibility that surfactants from the detergent will remain on the fruits.

Interesting in this context is also what US researchers reported last year: In a study, they found that a solution of baking soda and water can be used to remove pesticides from apples.

By peeling, healthy plant substances are often lost

Vegetables and fruits with uneven surfaces should always be washed very thoroughly.

Even with varieties in which the shell is not consumed, the cleaning is often beneficial, such as avocados.

For salads or cabbages it is recommended to remove the outer leaves.

Vegetables and fruits, which are usually eaten with the shell, should not be peeled, as the shell not only pollutants but also healthy phytochemicals are lost.

Pollution pollution may fluctuate

According to the Consumer Service Bavaria, investigations carried out by the food control authorities of the individual states show that fruit and vegetables in particular imported from other countries exceed the maximum levels of plant treatment products.

Therefore, it makes sense to eat mainly fruits and vegetables from the region. For many vegetables and fruits, such as strawberries, the pesticide load also fluctuates seasonally.

At the annual examination of the Chemical and Veterinary Examination Office Stuttgart for 2017, fresh vegetables from Germany performed best overall.

Bioware without pesticides

Organic fruits and vegetables are a pesticide-free choice, as the use of chemical-synthetic pesticides in organic production is not allowed.

Allowed are natural substances of animal or plant origin such as minerals, vegetable oils or soaps.

Organic producers also use resistant plant varieties and appropriate crop rotations to control pests and weeds.

Use vegetables completely

In the modern kitchen, there is a trend to use fruit and vegetables completely.

For example, the green of the turnip and the leaves of kohlrabi, radishes and beetroot are processed into pesto, salads or soups.

However, these plant parts may be contaminated with pesticides. Limit values ​​for sprays apply only to the usually consumable parts of plants and not to the herb and the leaves.

If you want to use the plants completely, it is best to use fresh, unsprayed goods from your own garden or organic vegetables.

Turnips, radish leaves and Co. should always be washed thoroughly under running water. This is especially true for raw consumption. (Ad)