Because pesticides can not be eliminated by washing fruits and vegetables
Because pesticides can not be eliminated by washing fruits and vegetables
Unfortunately, it is the most widespread opinion of what seems to be enough to wash fruits and vegetables to remove pesticide residues or other chemicals.
Meanwhile, to substantiate this concept there is evidence of scientific research that confirms that with the washing only 12% of chemical residues of fruit and vegetables are eliminated.
At this point the idea that can flash in the mind is that then it is enough to peel the fruit (at least that) to eliminate the chemical residues of the substances that are introduced into the productive cycles of agriculture. By peeling the fruit, less than half of it is eliminated. Let’s see why.
Agri-food products receive inputs of synthetic substances for two main reasons; or for the various treatments necessary for the elimination of insects, fungi, mites, and other plant diseases or as molecules to bring nutrients.
As for pesticides (or pesticides) these can work with two methods: either by contact or systemically.
Pesticides that act by contact create a protective barrier against biological adversity and are mostly used for prevention.
Systemic pesticides are plant protection products whose active ingredients can be absorbed by roots or leaves to be moved to the rest of the plant organs. These molecules are able to reach even the growing vegetative apices of the treated crop since they spread in the plant by xylematic way.
Then there are synthetic fertilizers that, above all in certain concentrations, can not be totally metabolized (processed in organic form) and remain for a long time inside the tissues of the plants. This is the case of nitrates (but not only) that under certain conditions turns into dangerous nitrites with toxic and carcinogenic effects.
Ultimately to date, in the absence of serious legislation to protect the health of consumers, the only form of protection is to eat organic products.
Unfortunately, this information hardly comes on the table of consumers who in this way are not protected anywhere.
I believe that Food Education must today be one of the most comprehensive political programs of a state if we really want to do good service to citizens and, above all, protect them from low-level advertising and information scams.
Guido Bissanti