What is the best way for apple farmers to eat?

EWG is a non-profit advocacy organization. In the past 10 years, the list of the agricultural products most polluted by pesticides has been released every year as part of the annual “Agricultural Products Pollution Shopping Guide”. It is understood that this ranking is based on the United States Department of Agriculture's analysis of pesticide residues from 48 fruits and vegetables. In this test, about 65% of the samples of agricultural products detected pesticide residues.

In the ranking of agricultural products with the most serious pesticide pollution (see chart), there are 15 kinds of pesticides in the grape sample, and 13 samples of strawberries, celery, cherry tomatoes, and imported beans. At the same time, the “Guidebook for the Guide to the Pollution of Agricultural Products” also recommends that people purchase 15 kinds of relatively clean agricultural products (see chart).

Xiao Jian, director of the Haidian District Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute in Beijing, said that the production cycle of fruits and vegetables is relatively low in the occurrence of pests and diseases, the use of pesticides is relatively small, such as cherry and apricot. In addition, methods such as apples and pears that use fruit bagging can effectively reduce pesticide residues. According to Zhu Yi, an associate professor of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at the China Agricultural University, the variety of vegetables and the situation of diseases and insect pests are different, so the amount of pesticide residues will be different. Green leafy vegetables have large leaves and a short growing cycle, so they have more pesticides. Fruits and vegetables have more pesticide residues. The reason is that pesticides will remain on uneven surfaces, and it is difficult to purify them with rain or air.

The “Guidebook for the Guide to the Purchasing of Agricultural Products” points out that although there are problems with pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, it is not for people to stop buying them. Instead, people are advised to buy green and organic varieties of these fruits and vegetables. Second, we must buy more clean 15 kinds of agricultural products. “Each day we eat 5 “clean fruits and vegetables” in the list, the body's absorption of pesticides can be reduced by 92%,” said EWG chairman Ken Cook. In this regard, Zhu Yi said that the amount of pesticides used in qualified organic fruits and vegetables is indeed relatively small, because their pesticide residue testing standards are more stringent. "High-demand consumers can choose to buy organic fruits and vegetables."

In fact, the correct cleaning method can remove most of the pesticides on fruits and vegetables. The key to the removal of pesticide residues is the size of the friction. When washing fruits and vegetables, it is best to rinse for half a minute under flowing water. Leaf vegetables should be rinsed several times. It is also possible to add a little flour in the water for a short time to soak, rub and rinse, but it is best to keep the fruits and vegetables intact in the soaking, because if the vegetables are soaked into small pieces, it will cause pesticides to infiltrate. If you worry too much about the dangers of pesticides, you can peel and eat them. For example, peeling apples and pears can remove more than 70% of pesticide residues. Eating apples is best to eat around the core, because the gap in the core can cause pesticides to infiltrate. In addition, Zhu Yi reminded that some people like to wash fruits and vegetables with detergents, which is not worth promoting because the detergent itself is a chemical substance and may cause secondary pollution.

This article is a reprint of online media. It only represents the author's point of view. It has nothing to do with this site. If news articles and comments infringe your legal rights, please call us and we will handle it in a timely manner.