Remove pesticides on vegetables with vinegar?

It is smart to soak fruit and vegetables in a vinegar and water solution before eating. At least ... that's what the internet claims. That way, pesticides would be removed. Ideal if you have no money for organic products. But is it also correct?

Fruits and vegetables are often treated with pesticides. They work against weeds, fungi and insects, mice and rats. They ensure that the farmer gets a larger harvest and that you get beautiful and uneaten fruit and vegetables on your plate. But pesticides are of course not healthy. You don't want to ingest those toxins.

Rubbing helps!

Washing well and rinsing with water is something everyone does to rinse away dirt, dust and bacteria. However, it has been said on the internet for years that vinegar is a better means of removing pesticides. Both apple cider vinegar and natural vinegar are mentioned here. It is sometimes said that you should add baking soda (baking soda) to the mixture. The best way to remove pesticides, and whether vinegar plays a good role in this, has already been researched by scientists years ago. According to them, pesticides on fruits and vegetables can be largely removed. Washing with water appears to be sufficient to remove at least 80 percent of the pesticides. It is also important to rub the vegetables and fruit a little, because it is precisely this friction that will wash away the pesticides. Incidentally, the Nutrition Center says that you cannot remove the last traces of pesticides anyway, also because they are present throughout the product.

Soaking or rinsing with vinegar does not score much better than just washing with water. The vinegar can even leave an aftertaste. Soaking in water can also cause vitamins to be lost, especially if you're soaking leafy greens like lettuce and spinach. Sin! Where vinegar scores slightly better is the removal of bacteria. But if all goes well, there are not many pathogenic bacteria on fruits and vegetables.

Are pesticides dangerous to you anyway? Well, they are certainly not healthy. That is also the reason that there are strict guidelines for the use and for the quantities that can remain on the products. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) sets these limits and is also investigating whether it is possible that people become ill from leftovers. In the past there were also pesticides that were not broken down properly and that could therefore accumulate in the body. DDT is an infamous example. Such pesticides are now banned. There is a list of about 250 pesticides that may be used. A In the Netherlands, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority regularly conducts research into pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables. In the vast majority of cases (99 percent!) The products in the store meet the safe standard.

If you really want to be sure that no pesticides have been used, it is best to buy organic fruits and vegetables. You can be sure that no chemical pesticides have been used. But also in conventional cultivation, such as in Dutch greenhouses, more and more use is made of natural pesticides. Such as ladybugs against aphids and parasitic wasps against mealybugs. Bottom Line: Don't worry too much about pesticides in fruits and vegetables. Wash your fruits and vegetables well with water, and rub a little while doing so. Soaking in vinegar is really not necessary. And remember, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables has so many health benefits that the danger of pesticide leftovers can never match.