How to remove parasites in fruits and vegetables

Fresh fruits and vegetables are easily damaged because they contain a lot of nutrients, a lot of water, are easily fermented and are a suitable environment for microorganisms to arise and develop. In addition, fresh fruits and vegetables today also have a very high risk of residual growth stimulants, pesticides, preservatives... Therefore, it is important to note:

How to choose fresh fruits and vegetables

Appearance: Intact, undamaged, not crushed, scratched, or bruised at the stem. Beware of the type that is too “fat”.

Choose whole, healthy fruits and vegetables to ensure food safety.

Color: Has the natural color of fruits and vegetables, not wilted or yellowed. Pay attention to green fruits or fruits with unusual colors.

Touch, hold: Feel heavy, crunchy. Pay attention to the “light” feeling of some green vegetables that have been sprayed with too many growth stimulants and pesticides. No foreign substances: Many types of vegetables and fruits still have pesticides on the leaves, leaf stalks, fruit buds, fruit stalks, etc. These are specks or white spots.

Smell: No strange smell. If there is a lot of residual pesticides, you will smell a pungent smell of pesticides.

With fruit: There are some types that are soaked in toxic preservatives, still have a beautiful color on the outside, but the stem is either dark and mushy, or still has pesticides on it, when cut open or peeled, the color between the skin and the fruit flesh is discolored.

Therefore, washing vegetables and fruits before use is an important step in the processing and before eating.

How to wash vegetables properly?

When washing vegetables, some people use salt water, potassium permanganate or other safe vegetable washing chemicals advertised on the market... But in fact, if using this method, green vegetables or fresh fruits are only partially cleaned, mainly removing some dirt, chemicals, bacteria... while disease-causing parasites are very difficult to clean. If using water mixed with salt, potassium permanganate or high concentrations of cleaning chemicals, green vegetables after washing will be bruised, less green, and the taste may change.

Wash vegetables under running water to ensure food hygiene and safety.

Therefore, the traditional, simple but safest way to wash vegetables with large leaves is to wash them under strong, clean running water.

Make sure the water used for washing is clean, wash under running water for 3 or more times, then apply different methods depending on the type of vegetable. If it is a large leafy vegetable: such as kale, lettuce... then break it into branches, each leaf, leave it under strong running water for a long time to remove all parasites if any. Flip it over to the other surface and wash it in the same way. Then put it in a basin, wash it normally with one or two waters; If it is a small leafy vegetable: such as watercress, spinach... then put it in a basin and stir it back and forth many times, at least change the water 5-6 times like that. If necessary, soak it in salt water or rinse it in ozone water.

Fresh fruit should be washed under clean running water several times and peeled before eating.

To ensure food hygiene and safety in the current situation, large restaurants and eateries with conditions should wash raw vegetables with high concentration of ozone water. For families when buying vegetables, even clean vegetables sold in supermarkets, they must still wash them thoroughly, it is best to wash each leaf under running water many times to wash away bacteria, parasite eggs and chemicals remaining on the vegetables before use.

To avoid parasitic infection, it is safest to wash vegetables before processing, cook them thoroughly, and avoid eating raw vegetables or raw salads./.

According to VOV