Ways to reduce toxins in fruits and vegetables

Vegetables and fruits are indispensable in Vietnamese family meals, but not everyone knows how to choose clean vegetables and remove toxins.

As an agricultural country, Vietnam exports large quantities of vegetables to countries around the world. However, paradoxically, Vietnamese people are struggling to choose safe produce. Currently, vegetable growers, driven by profit, use many pesticides to irrigate their crops. Chemical residues remaining in vegetables can cause acute poisoning. Recently, in some areas, irrigation water has been contaminated with bacteria, such as cholera bacteria, causing acute diarrhea in those who eat raw vegetables and posing a dangerous source of infection for the community.

In the program "Delicious and Healthy" (VTC 14), Mr. Thai Thanh Tam, Deputy Head of the Plant Protection Department of Ho Chi Minh City, stated: "Recently, we have inspected 85 establishments selling plant protection products, of which 4 establishments violated regulations with offenses such as selling substandard products, lacking business licenses, and selling expired products."

Chemical residues remaining in fruits and vegetables can cause acute poisoning.

Vegetables are an indispensable part of Vietnamese family meals, but not everyone knows how to choose clean vegetables free from pesticides. Housewives often advise each other that the more visually appealing the vegetables, the tastier they are, but this is a misconception. While it's difficult to completely eliminate toxins from fruits and vegetables, careful selection and proper preparation will minimize the risk of illness.

Attention all housewives:

- Avoid buying out-of-season fruits and vegetables, as unfavorable weather conditions lead to increased pest infestations, stunted growth, and farmers resort to using pesticides and growth stimulants to accelerate development.

- Choose fruits and vegetables that are intact, not bruised, cracked, rotten, or spoiled.

- Avoid buying pre-peeled, pre-sliced, or soaked fruits and vegetables from the market.

- You should buy vegetables from reputable companies that can verify pesticide levels.

- Wash vegetables under clean running water by: rinsing twice under running water and twice in a large basin of water; this can remove 40%-90% of chemicals.

- The water used to wash fruits and vegetables must be clean, free from contamination, chemicals, heavy metals, or bacteria.

- Soaking vegetables in rice water for about 30 minutes, then rinsing them several times under clean water, also significantly reduces chemical residue on the vegetables.

- Avoid consuming any food with unusual colors, strange smells, or food from places where food poisoning has occurred.

- Growing your own clean vegetables allows growers to control the origin of their food, ensuring it is clean, free from pesticides, and growth stimulants.

According to VOV.VN