Right Way to Wash and Disinfect Fruit and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are essential foods to fill up on vitamins and minerals, as well as essential substances to boost the immune system. They are often eaten raw and therefore it is necessary to respect careful hygiene practices on how to wash and disinfect fruit and vegetables, to safeguard their health.

Why it is Important to Clean Fruits and Vegetables?

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Washing fruit and vegetables, and disinfecting them before eating them, is important to avoid bringing harmful bacteria and pesticides to the table.

In fact, being grown in the open air, potentially pathogenic germs and other chemical substances can settle on their surfaces starting from the production phase, and continue to contaminate themselves during harvesting, preparation and storage in environments that can favor the proliferation of microorganisms.

For this reason, cleaning fruit and vegetables well is a fundamental rule for food safety. Thorough washing under fresh running water is able to remove 90-99% of the bacteria, which are usually present in the soil attached to the product. If then other natural disinfectants are added to this action of water, it is possible to protect the organism – in particular that of the most delicate people such as the elderly, children, pregnant women – from a whole series of ailments very often underestimated such as diseases, intoxications and infections.

Although most of the foods that transit on Asia markets, and in particular in India, are subjected to very strict food safety and hygiene systems, it is a good idea that as a precaution, fruit and vegetables are always carefully washed, regardless of whether you prefer.

cooked, raw, with or without peel.

Also Check Out: Fruit and Vegetable Cleaner

How to Wash Fruit and Vegetables?

Among the most effective natural remedies for washing and disinfecting fruit and vegetables, the use of:

• Vinegar

Both apple and white wine vinegar have disinfectant and antioxidant properties capable of eliminating impurities and bacteria. Moreover, thanks to specific organic compounds, vinegar also helps to prolong shelf life. Just immerse the fruit and vegetables in a container with 30% vinegar and 70% water, and let it rest for 20 minutes, then clean and rinse with plenty of water;

• Lemon and Vinegar

It is possible to combine water, vinegar and lemon juice (in equal parts) in a spray bottle and use it directly on the surface of fruit and vegetables for a perfect cleaning, always with final rinse;

Pure sodium bicarbonate: a solution based on water and bicarbonate helps eliminate bacteria and residues of earth and dirt from the peel of fruit and vegetables, which thus become perfectly disinfected. Two level spoons of bicarbonate will be enough in a basin of water at room temperature, soak and rub the food thoroughly and finally rinse well, so as to eliminate any impurities;

• Sea Salt

Salt also has antibacterial properties and can be used to wash all vegetables and some fruit. This is because the salt leaves a decidedly tasty flavor, even if you rinse it, and therefore it will be more suitable for washing the vegetables which will then be salted anyway, or strawberries for an excellent risotto. Just mix a spoonful of it in a bowl with warm water and then rinse with extreme care;

• Tea Tree Oil

It is an essential oil useful for cleaning and disinfecting fruit and vegetables with care. You only need 4-5 drops of tea tree oil diluted in a bowl full of water and then continue with a short immersion of the food (just a few minutes) and proceed as before to rinse with fresh running tap water.

On the market, there are also products based on chemical solutions for the sanitization of fruit and vegetables. They are safe and effective detergents against bacteria and pesticides, which must always be diluted in a basin of water and then left to soak the fruit and vegetables for a few minutes. Being bleach-based products, it is important that rinsing under running water is extremely accurate.

You can even invest in the Best Vegetable Purifier in India to purify your fruits and vegetables using ozone purification technology to remove pesticides and harmful chemicals

The Rules for Food Safety

The WHO, World Health Organization has also released a series of recommendations for good hygiene practices when handling and preparing food, such as:

• always wash your hands before and after handling raw and cooked foods;
• carefully clean the worktop and use different utensils in the kitchen for the preparation of raw and cooked products;
• make sure that the foods are well cooked before eating them, the ideal temperature is at least 70 ° to ensure the killing of bacteria and viruses;
• do not touch your mouth, eyes and nose immediately after unloading the shopping bags, but wash your hands immediately, even if you have used gloves, and sanitize the surfaces.

Specifically, then, to safely consume fruit and vegetables it is recommended:

• wash your hands well before handling fruit and vegetables, especially before eating them raw;
• Always rinse fruit and vegetables under running water by rubbing them gently before peeling them to avoid contamination. Remove any damaged or bruised parts with clean knives and utensils, which have not come into contact with dangerous foods such as raw meat or fish;
• more resistant fruits and vegetables such as melon, potatoes or cucumbers can be brushed to ensure the effective removal of any soil residues;
• after washing, for even more thorough cleaning, dry fruit and vegetables with a clean cloth or absorbent paper.