Is the white frost on grape skins pesticide? Official debunking: it is actually bloom

China Jiangxi Network news, reporterLi Yunhuireports: August and September every year is the season when grapes are concentrated on the market. Recently, in the WeChat Moments of many citizens, a message claiming that "the white frost on grape skins is pesticide" has been circulating. The reporter learned from the Jiangxi Provincial Food and Drug Administration that the "white frost" on grapes is not pesticide, but bloom, and is completely harmless to the human body.

"There is so much 'white frost' on the grape skins, and it cannot be washed off. Is it pesticide residue?" Recently, many citizens in Nanchang have expressed concern about the "white frost" on the skin after buying grapes. With the growing popularity of social platforms, the claim that "the white frost on grape skins is pesticide" has also spread widely in citizens' WeChat Moments.

The reporter learned from the Jiangxi Provincial Food and Drug Administration that this layer of white frost is actually bloom, which is harmless to the human body. This kind of white frost does not only grow on grapes; it also appears on the skins of fruits such as sugarcane and plums.

Relevant staff said that as long as the "white frost" is evenly distributed and does not cover the grape skin's own color, it can be considered a sugar alcohol substance secreted by the grape itself, professionally called bloom, and this substance is completely harmless to the human body. Bloom may be rubbed off during long-term transportation and storage, and grapes covered with bloom can prove that the grapes are fresher. In addition, the bloom on grapes has a protective effect for the grapes, and can effectively reduce water evaporation and infection by pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, the bloom on grapes is not only not evidence of pesticide residue, but precisely a manifestation of the reasonable use of pesticides.

The staff suggested that after citizens buy grapes, in addition to soaking them in salt water to remove it, they can also put some flour into clean water, and after a few minutes the white frost on them can be washed off. Flour has a certain adsorption effect and plays a certain role in removing mud and dirt as well as pesticides from the surface of grapes.

Operations staff: Ma Wenjing MZ012