Thursday, May 10, 2018

The Best Way to Wash Fruits and Vegetables

Eating vegetables does provide a very positive effect for the body and health in general. However, the problem of E. coli bacteria becomes the main enemy to obtain all the benefits of this type of food.

A recent study in Food Science & Nutrition found, rinsing or soaking leafy vegetables in water does not mean reducing the amount of E. coli bacteria. Another study from the University of Georgia found that products that can indeed be washed even less effective than water rinsing E. coli.

The research became bad news. Fortunately there is still good news that it is highly unlikely to meet E. coli in fresh produce.

"We see occasional outbreaks, but the risk of getting sick from consuming products is very, very low," said Linda Harris, Head of the Department of Food Safety and Research at the University of California, Davis, quoted by Time, Tuesday (8/5) .

Although the bacteria can not be lost by washing Harris said, there is a compelling reason to clean the product to be consumed. Therefore, the product is sold in the open so that it could just dirt.

"If there is dirt, just remove the dirt from fresh vegetables.How to rinse, rub, and dry the food.

"Something like an apple with a smooth outer surface, you can rub it when you rinse it.We have done some research showing this and then drying it with a clean towel can achieve a significant reduction of microorganisms," Harris said.

Although this method works for apples, pears, and other crustaceans, Harris says it does not make sense with soft fruits like berries. "It's impossible to rub raspberries," he said. With this gentle meal, a good rinse before eating is the best.

Some unnecessary steps when washing the fruit or vegetables include brushing with a brush, soaking it in a water-filled sink, or using baking soda to clean the pesticide. The first two methods are more likely to contaminate the product than disinfection.

While there is evidence of baking soda can completely remove pesticide residues from contaminated fruit, Harris said generally the level of pesticides in fruits and vegetables are safe.

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