Nowadays, the concerns over pesticides are on the rise, and people are becoming aware of the importance of their removal from our food.
Newest research has shown that baking soda, despite its countless other benefits, is a potent ingredient that will help you eliminate up to 96% of pesticides from fruit and vegetables.
What’s more, researchers have found that it is even more effective than the standard bleaching procedure.
This is due to the fact that baking soda is a highly alkaline ingredient, that actually breaks down chemicals and pesticides into small molecules and thus neutralizes them.
Namely, the study done by researchers at the University of Massachusetts on gala apples showed the effectiveness of baking soda in cleaning the fruits.
The team of researchers applied two of the most common pesticides to the apples, phosmet, a popular insecticide, and thiabendazole, a fungicide previously found to be able to penetrate apple peels.
The, they rinsed the apples with three different liquids, which include: tap water, a 1% baking soda/water solution, and the most commonly bleaching solution, approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The findings showed that the apples that were soaked in the baking soda solution for 2 minutes had the least pesticide residue. Yet, the solution needed 12 to 15 minutes to fully eliminate all pesticides.
According to the lead author Dr. Lili He, ‘Pesticide residues may remain on agricultural produce, where they contribute to the total dietary intake of pesticides. Concerns about potential hazards of pesticides to food safety and human health have increased, and therefore, it is desirable to reduce these residues.’
Therefore, this eco-friendly and effective produce wash can remove pesticide residue from hard-skinned vegetables and fruits.
All you have to do is to add a few tablespoons to a bowl of water. Then, soak the produce for several minutes, and then rinse them with cold water.
You can also just scrub them with some baking soda. Then, enjoy your pesticide-free vegetables and fruits!