Identifying safe vegetables is an extremely important part of modern life. Vegetables are an essential component of meals, while products contaminated with pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or stimulants abound in the market.
Many shoppers do not know how to identify vegetables that have been sprayed with chemicals.
In addition to the skill of selecting fresh vegetables, the top concern of shoppers is identifying vegetables sprayed with chemicals to stay away from. This is not easy.
How to identify vegetables sprayed with chemicals
Below are some types of vegetables and fruits that are at high risk of being sprayed with chemicals, as well as ways to identify them, according to the Q&A Nutritional and Food Safety Documents of the Institute of Nutrition.
Cabbage
When planted in the ground, cabbage attracts many insects, so growers often increase the use of pesticides and fertilizers shortly before harvest. If sprayed close to the harvest date, the residual fertilizers and pesticides in the cabbage are still very high when they reach consumers’ hands, as the chemicals do not have enough time to decompose.
You should be suspicious when encountering bundles of tender, smooth cabbage, with dark green leaves and no trace of insects, and firm and evenly-shaped stems in an unusual way. These are usually cabbage that has been heavily fertilized with nitrate, should not be eaten, especially when eaten raw.
Bean sprouts
Thick and plump bean sprouts, with pale white stems and few roots, are often very attractive and pleasing to the eye. However, they are very likely to have been treated with harmful stimulating chemicals during the production process.
To make bean sprouts plump, many people use leaf fertilizers mixed with diluted pesticides to water the sprouts and then seal them. This mixture helps the bean sprouts to germinate and grow quickly, but it is very toxic. This type of bean sprout will release a murky liquid when stir-fried.
Winged bean
If growers abuse the use of leaf fertilizers, winged beans are often shiny, with few hairs, long, with distinct segments. If all the opened beans for sale have no signs of insects, it means that the first batch of the field was sprayed with pesticides before harvest.
Water spinach
Signs of vegetables sprayed with chemicals for this product include: Abnormally thick stems, pale yet vibrant green leaves. Water spinach bundles sprayed with excessive pesticides and fertilizers will wither and shrink if left in water for a day.
Bitter melon
When buying bitter melon, you should choose small, long, with many tiny veins on the stems. Bitter melons that are large, dark green, smooth, and plump with shiny veins are often treated with preservatives to make them look fresh.
Tips to reduce chemicals in vegetables and fruits
For vegetables with stems like kale, broccoli, and cauliflower, to reduce harmful chemicals after purchase, you can apply the following tips:
– Cut off the roots and separate each leaf, removing any insects.
– Soak the vegetables in diluted saltwater or diluted purple medicine for about 15 minutes.
– Rinse each leaf thoroughly under running water several times, then proceed with cooking.
According to the Q&A Nutritional and Food Safety Documents of the Institute of Nutrition, the above method is simple but can remove most of the pesticides and fertilizers clinging to vegetables, especially in the leaf crevices. This method also helps remove worm eggs, mites, and other dirt from the vegetables.
According to VTC News
Why you shouldn’t buy all types of vegetables from the same store?
To save time, many people often buy different types of vegetables at the same store; while this method is convenient, it also increases the risk of food safety issues.
