Fruits and vegetables are perceived (and rightly so) as some of the healthiest foods that should not be given up. They are colorful, natural, and rich in essential vitamins and minerals, but the problem is that they too, like any food that comes directly from nature, can contain residues of pesticides, fungi, and bacteria collected from the field, from storage, and from transportation. The good news is that in most cases, a simple rinse with water is enough to reduce the risk.
The more complex news is that there are fruits and vegetables that require much more than basic attention.
Official data collected by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and analyzed by the independent research organization Environmental Working Group, show that not all fruits and vegetables are the same when it comes to their level of exposure to harmful chemical substances. Some require much more thorough washing than most of us are used to doing, not only for cleanliness, but as part of daily health maintenance.
Why are “healthy” fruits more problematic?
The EWG publishes an annual report known as the “Dirty Dozen,” which reviews the most contaminated fruits and vegetables. One of the most prominent findings in the report is that soft fruits with thin skins, those eaten as they are, are also the ones that tend to absorb more harmful substances from the environment. Strawberries, for example, consistently top the lists of fruits with a high number of pesticide residues. Grapes, peaches, nectarines, and cherries are also in a similar risk group, mainly because their skin does not constitute a significant barrier, allowing substances to penetrate easily into the surface of the fruit.
Leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and mustard greens are also in the same problematic category. This is because their large surface area and natural folds create “pockets” in which substances remain even after a quick wash.
Peppers, both sweet and hot, are also found to be problematic, but for a different reason. Peppers do not necessarily contain a large amount of one pesticide, but tests have found many different types of pesticides on them simultaneously. Over the years, various laboratory tests have identified peppers with dozens, and sometimes even more than one hundred different chemical substances, even if each one individually appeared in a small amount that is not harmful.
Not everything that requires thorough washing is dangerous
This is the place to reassure and emphasize that the fact that a fruit or vegetable contains residues of certain substances does not mean that it is dangerous to eat. In most of the fruits and vegetables sampled, the amount of substances was significantly lower than the threshold considered problematic for health. However, when it comes to daily consumption over many years, experts recommend reducing unnecessary exposure to those harmful substances as much as possible. Therefore, thorough washing under running water, gentle scrubbing of the peel, and sometimes even short soaking can reduce a significant portion of the residues.
On the other hand, there are also fruits and vegetables that come with a natural “defense system.” For example: Avocado, banana, pineapple, onion, and mango are covered with a thick peel that is removed only before eating, and therefore they were found to have much lower levels of harmful substance residues. Cabbage, mushrooms, and sweet corn are also considered relatively safe in this context. This does not mean that you can completely skip washing them, but that it is less critical to invest special effort in them.
How to wash properly without overdoing it?
Washing under cold running water is the basic rule for thorough cleaning, even for fruits that look “clean” and safe to eat. There is no need for soaps or special substances, and in most cases not even homemade solutions. What is important is the duration and manner of washing: Not to pass the fruit under the tap for two seconds and move on, but to wash thoroughly for twenty seconds or more, scrub gently, and remove outer leaves from leafy vegetables.
Those who choose to buy organic produce take an additional step in reducing exposure to pesticides, but even here washing is still essential, mainly because of bacteria and environmental dirt. Ultimately, the goal is not to create fear of fruits and vegetables, but to eat them in a more conscious and safer way.
It is important to remember that fruits and vegetables are still the basis of a healthy diet and there is no reason to give them up. But as in many other areas of health, here too the difference between an automatic habit and a conscious habit can be significant. Thorough washing is a small, almost negligible action that can reduce unnecessary exposure and give you a bit more peace of mind at every meal.