Do we really need fruit & veg wash?
Here at Greenscents we want to help you achieve a simpler, healthier life. Most of our products can multi-task and we believe strongly that this is the best for the planet – a proliferation of unnecessary household products adds to our carbon burden and particularly packaging excess.
However, we have designed our organic fruit & veg wash to cope with some specific and rather nasty chemical overloads. You may be aware that pesticides in and on conventional fruit & veg can be particularly toxic and this toxicity has soared since Brexit. Allowable maximum residue levels in crops have in some cases increased by 4,000 times in the UK and this is at a time when in contrast, some pesticide limits are being reduced in the EU.
The big problem with conventional fruit & veg
Our supermarket produce is drenched in pesticides and these pesticides have been reliably linked to a range of serious illnesses from lung disease to cancer. Pesticides are poisons and residues can have acute short-term effects but the long-term chronic effects can be extremely serious and have been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease; asthma; depression and anxiety; attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and cancer, including leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And that’s not all – because so many pesticides are routinely used on each variety of produce the combined effects can alter or enhance the symptoms and this is called ‘the cocktail effect’.
PAN (UK) analyses as much conventional fruit & veg as the Government releases for testing but as different produce is released each year it is impossible to develop long term studies for each variety. The latest research (2023) shows that residues of more than 2 pesticides showed up in 85% of peaches/nectarines, 84% grapes, 83% strawberries and 81% cherries. Most vegetables revealed residues in over half the samples and beans in pods was the lowest at 38%.
As an example, the samples of grapes tested by PAN (UK), revealed there were 8 endocrine disrupting chemicals, 3 reproductive or developmental toxins, 11 carcinogens, 18 highly hazardous pesticides and 9 actives not approved for use in the UK. This is a terrifying finding but sadly not unique: EWG in the US reports similar findings.
Eau no! Water is not enough!
The Organic Center in the US found that in most cases, rinsing with water was not enough to remove surface pesticides from conventional fruit & veg and a 30 minute soak was required. Not only would this approach saturate most produce and ruin the texture but in many cases, this was not found to be sufficient to remove surface toxins anyway! Peeling & blanching are more effective ways of removing pesticides.
Organic is not a lifestyle choice – it is health positive alternative
Whenever you can, choose organic certified produce. This reduces the artificial pesticide load to zero and the pesticide problem falls away. Organic farmers in the UK are permitted to use a limited number of pesticides that are derived from natural ingredients, such as garlic and clove oil. These pesticides are only used in very restricted circumstances. Around 90% of Soil Association-certified organic farmers use no pesticides at all.
Despite this, all organic fruit & veg will be handled and especially if you prefer loose produce, bacteria & viruses from handlers as well as soil residue will be present on your food.
Use Greenscents organic fruit & veg wash – why take the risk?
Greenscents fruit & veg wash should be used for all produce apart from mushrooms (which can be peeled). Spray the surface of the fruit or vegetable, ensuring 100% of the skin is covered with product. Once the surface has been cleaned, rinse thoroughly with cold water and dry with a clean tea towel. The organic ingredients in our fruit & veg wash are natural & safe but effective cleaners.
Research shows that the effectiveness of the washing application depends on various factors such as the physical & chemical properties of the pesticide, the nature of the fruit or vegetable, the contact time with the washing solution, the solubility of the pesticides in water, and the type of the washing treatments. Because there are so many pesticides and different types of produce, our fruit & veg wash is designed to remove surface pesticides, waxes, dirt, oils & and other impurities from the majority of fruit & veg. Cleaning produce with Greenscents Fruit & Veg wash means that you can reduce the amount of peeling and blanching so that more nutrients are retained.
Another important factor is the physical & chemical damage to fruits & vegetables that very acidic or very alkaline washes exert as side effects – this is a serious issue with some existing washing solutions (and can occur with bicarbonate of soda unless the correct dilutions are used). The pH of Greenscents Fruit & Veg wash is neutral to slightly acidic which is similar to most vegetables (although fruits tend to be more acidic) and the damage to produce is minimal.
Some advice suggests that ‘detergents’ should not be used to wash fruit & vegetables because the ingredients could be absorbed by or linger on the produce. This is another benefit of the Greenscents version as this is a 98% certified organic product – so you will always be spraying your fruit & veg with the purest possible product.
Proud to be pesticide free
Greenscents organic fruit & veg wash is perfect for organic veg from box schemes and will remove surface pesticides from conventional produce. It is an essential product in the fight against toxins and contributes to a healthy lifestyle.
Further Reading
https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
https://organic-center.org/sites/default/files/info-doc/produce_wash_guide_1.pdf
https://www.pan-uk.org/site/wp-content/uploads/Dirty-Dozen-2023.pdf