Can pesticide residue be washed off with water? Master it all at once with this quick guide
Every few days there are reports of pesticide levels exceeding limits, banned pesticides being detected, and so on, leaving stay-at-home husbands and homemakers feeling anxious. Many experts have also appeared in the media teaching people how to wash fruits and vegetables, but did you know that some "systemic pesticides" are absorbed into the plant body early on, and no amount of washing will help?
Since pesticides came into widespread use in the 20th century, they have created a "green revolution," but the endless environmental and food safety problems have made the public turn pale at the mention of pesticides. However, simply fearing pesticides or blaming farmers does nothing to improve the situation. Only by first getting to know this "most familiar stranger" can we find a way to solve the problem.
1. How big is the pesticide market
5. Choosing and washing fruits and vegetables:
Generally, non-systemic pesticides cling to the surface of leafy vegetables, so before cooking it is recommended to rinse them under running clean water. But crops treated with systemic pesticides cannot be cleaned with water, so the only option is to choose a shop or farmer you trust. Every crop faces the threat of insect pests and diseases during its growth, and which pesticide to use depends on the situation and the farmer's choice. Whether residues remain depends on the spraying time and dosage; even with systemic pesticides, as long as the pre-harvest interval and application dosage are followed, most residues will still meet standards.
Weng Su-shen says that therefore the most important thing is to control quality at the source and not abuse pesticides; as long as they are used reasonably, there will be no food safety problems.
The Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine has already passed an amendment to the law: starting December 26 this year, when purchasing pesticides, the seller must issue a certificate stating the name of the pesticide, scope of use, quantity, buyer's name, and so on. However, many pesticide shops in Taiwan are small rural stores, and whether this can be fully implemented remains to be seen.