Believe it or not, pesticides might be present in fruits and vegetables we eat. They are primarily used during the cultivation of crops and in some cases may remain as residues.According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), "high levels of pesticide residues can be toxic enough to cause long-term cancer, damage to the nervous and reproductive systems, birth defects, and severe disruption of the immune system."
While steps are being taken by the government to sensitize farmers and vendors about the side effects of using pesticides, health experts suggest consumers explore alternatives like organic food.
You should also take certain measures to minimize any kind of health damage. Here are three simple, do-it-yourself tricks you can adopt at home:
Wash Your Food and Wash it Right
Wash all your fruits and vegetables with 2% of salt water will remove most of the contact pesticide Almost 75 to 80 percent of pesticide residues are removed by cold water washing. Also, be more thorough with these fruits and vegetables in specific: grapes, apples, guava, plums, mangoes, peaches and pears and vegetables like tomatoes, brinjal and okra as they might carry more residue in their crevices.
Vinegar SoakWhip up a solution with 10 percent white vinegar and 90 percent water and soak your veggies and fruits in them. Stir them around and rinse thoroughly. Be careful while washing fruits like berries, and those with a thin peel as the solution might damage their porous outer-skin.
Blanch and Peel
Treat your vegetables to warm water for a short while and this should remove any leftover residue. Peeling is another efficient way to remove residue
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