Washing fruit does not help against agricultural poison, the only cure is peeling – Joop – BNNVARA

Anyone who thought that a proper wash would remove the poison from your favorite piece of fruit will be disappointed. From new scientific research it turns out that toxic agricultural chemicals are more persistent than expected. The researchers now advise not to just keep the apple under the tap, but to peel it.

Consumer Reports in May of this year found that 20 percent of the 59 different categories of fruits and vegetables it examined contained traces of pesticides that pose “significant risks” to consumers, even after deep washing. . It should be noted that the scientists conducted their research based on data from the US Department of Agriculture. Within the European Union, entry requirements for chemicals in agriculture and horticulture are generally somewhat stricter than in the United States.

However, researchers warn that washing fruit and vegetables will not completely remove the toxins. This must be done because the poison does not stay on the skin, but goes through to the upper level of the meat. The research also showed that after removing the skin, which also included removing the top layer of meat, the toxins present disappeared. to a large extent.

The American Food Safety Authority has been claiming for years that pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables do not pose a health risk as long as they fall within legal limits. A Consumer Reports study shows that the foods tested were still within those limits, but still posed a significant health risk. This means that the government has set limits that are many times too high.