Baking soda is a wonderful ingredient with so many brilliant and effective uses. Baking soda removes up to 96 percent of pesticides from fruit and vegetables, new research reveals. When mixed with water and gently rubbed on apple skins, it eradicates nearly all the residual pesticide left on the fruit within 15 minutes.
It has been found that the baking soda method is much more effective than the standard technique of bleaching fruit for two minutes to remove pesticides. Previous research reveals baking soda breaks down pesticides due to its highly-alkaline pH, so it is able to neutralize pesticides by breaking them down into harmless molecules.
‘Pesticide residues may remain on agricultural produce, where they contribute to the total dietary intake of pesticides. Concerns about potential hazards of pesticides to food safety and human health have increased, and therefore, it is desirable to reduce these residues.’ Lead author Dr Lili He from the University of Massachusetts, told Mail Online.
How the research was carried out
University of Massachusetts published a study on the effects of baking soda on gala apples. In the study gala apples were sprayed with two types of pesticides – phosmet, which is a known insecticide, and thiabendazole, a fungicide. After penetrating apple peels, apples were rinsed with three liquids: tap water, one percent baking soda mixed with water, and the most popular bleaching solution. Electronic mapping technology was used to assess pesticide presence on the surface of, and inside, the apples.
The results: Baking soda removes up to 96% of pesticides After 12 minutes of gentle scrubbing, the baking soda solution removes 80 percent of thiabendazole, while it takes 15 minutes to remove 96 percent of phosmet. Thiabendazole is thought to be more difficult to remove due to it more readily penetrating fruit’s surfaces.
You can try this solution
- Simply add a few tablespoons of baking soda to a bowl of water.
- Place the produce in the solution to soak for a few minutes.
- Rinse with cold water.