remove pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables in four ways.

Pesticides are typically used during the growing process of fruits and vegetables to prevent and control pest infestation. Many farmers in the pesticide application process use one-sided pursuit of prevention and control effect, that the amount of drugs can improve the prevention and control effect, so they do not follow the pesticide water testing tds meter instructions to increase the amount and number of applications, resulting in pesticide residues exceeding the standard. Furthermore, farmers who do not follow pesticide safety intervals are a major cause of pesticide residues exceeding the standard. Consumers in the consumption of fruits and vegetables, if the pesticide residues on the top to remove clean, the active ingredients of pesticides or toxic metabolites by the body after long-term micro-intake, will accumulate in certain organs and tissues due to metabolism and excretion of less, affecting human health. The characteristics of different fruits and vegetables differ, as does the method of removing pesticide residues; in general, they can be classified as follows.

Method of storing. Pesticides in the air can slowly decompose over time, and apples, winter melon, and other storage resistant fruits and vegetables can be stored for a certain period of time to reduce pesticide content, generally about 15 days, most pesticide residues will decompose.

Method of peeling. Water-soluble pesticides are difficult to penetrate on waxy fruits and vegetables, and fat-soluble pesticides are generally fixed in the waxy layer. As a result, peeling is one of the most effective methods for removing pesticide residues, removing 90% or more of them, but not for leafy greens. Peeling is still effective for pesticides that are highly endosorbent, but it is less effective at removing pesticide residues. The pesticide residue removal effect is close when washing and peeling directly or soaking for 5 to 10 minutes before peeling; therefore, it is recommended that you wash and peel directly, without soaking. Because peeling apples, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables loses some of the nutrients, such as antioxidants, dietary fiber, and so on, soaking and scrubbing under running water can be used instead.

Method of soaking and rinsing. Soaking and rinsing fruits and vegetables under running water is the most basic method; it is simple, inexpensive, and widely applicable. Many studies have shown that long soaking is not beneficial for removing pesticide residues; instead, 5 to 15 minutes of soaking is preferred. Because of the excessive soaking time, fruits and vegetables will re-absorb pesticides. Some of the leafy vegetables and fruits that are difficult to wash can have pesticide residues reduced by soaking them in salt water for an extended period of time. When the salt concentration is too high, it not only kills microorganisms but also kills the cells on the food's surface, allowing harmful substances in the water to seep into the food. Pesticides used in China are mostly organophosphorus, and most organophosphorus pesticides degrade slowly when exposed to alkali. However, alkaline water will cause new problems, such as the conversion of trichlorfon into more toxic dichlorvos, so alkaline water soaking is not recommended.

Method of heating. To remove pesticide residues such as pesticides, celery, spinach, cabbage, beans, and other vegetables can be blanched by heating. Because pesticides become more soluble in hot water, the efficiency of removing pesticide residues is relatively high. Studies have shown that the efficiency of pesticide removal decreases significantly with prolonged heating, probably because prolonged heating leads to the destruction of vegetable cells to the point where pesticides in the water may again enter the vegetables. Moreover, the longer the heating time, the more nutrient loss. So all things considered, it is recommended that blanching 1 to 3 minutes is appropriate.

Finally, it should be remembered that when cleaning fruits and vegetables, it is best not to destroy their intact structure so that pesticides do not dissolve in the water and pollute the environment. Cucumbers, for example, have thorns, and many people like to wash them with a brush, which destroys the epidermis and may not only lead to secondary pesticide contamination, but may also bring in bacteria attached to the brush. Wash strawberries, grapes, and other fruits without removing the tip to prevent harmful substances from entering the interior of the fruit and causing more serious pollution.