Raw fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and fibre, which are excellent for your health. Unfortunately, they can also be packed with pesticides, which are not excellent for your health. 

Pesticides, widely used in farming operations, have been linked to numerous diseases and disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, ADHD and many cancers. Pesticides also make their way into and contaminate the environment. 

It’s clear we need to clean our raw fruits and veggies; what’s the best pesticide removal method?

Method 1: Rinsing with tap water

Rinsing fruits and vegetables under cool running water is a simple way to wash your produce, though it may not be the most effective pesticide remover. Rinsing produce helps to remove bacteria and pesticides from the surface of raw produce. Provided you thoroughly rub the surface, this method is about 60-70% effective.

That said, many fruits and vegetables can stockpile dirt, microorganisms and pesticide residues in their many nooks and crannies; this is why leafy green vegetables, such as lettuce and spinach, have been found to be one of the top sources of food poisoning.

Beyond this, it’s proven that the mechanical motion of rinsing and scrubbing are what make this method even remotely effective; be prepared to get your hands wet, and always ensure your sink and scrub brush are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before use.

Method 2: Fruit and vegetable washes and sprays

Pesticide remover sprays, also called fruit and vegetable washes, claim to safely remove soil and pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables; however, experts say the effectiveness of these products is suspect and vary wildly from brand to brand. Numerous studies suggest that pesticide remover sprays are no more effective at removing pesticides than simple tap water.

Even when using a great vegetable and fruit washer, there are factors that can make it less effective when actually applied to your fresh produce—including the active ingredient used and how much, your water temperature and pH, as well as how clean your sink or other cleaning vessel is.

Whatever wash you’re using, there’s always the chance you’re simply swapping one chemical for another; in some cases, the active ingredient in the pesticide remover may be worse for you than the pesticide you’re trying to remove. In all cases, the chemical compounds found in pesticide remover sprays don’t simply disappear—they go down your sink and then back into the water system.

Method 3: DIY solutions

DIY solutions are gaining in popularity, but there’s a serious problem with standardization. Whether it’s salt, baking soda, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, the question of how much to use and for how long remains unclear.

Depending on the source, soak time can vary from two minutes to 60 and efficacy rates are also all over the place. With so much contradictory information, many consumers are left scratching their heads. 

Beyond efficacy, there are other things to consider when washing your fruits and veg, including how it will affect the taste or texture of your food, as well as how practical it is as an everyday solution. Even among contradictory sources, there seems to be a consensus that DIY solutions like vinegar can damage the skin and ruin the flavour of many fruits and vegetables, particularly porous ones like strawberries and green onions.

Many DIY solutions are also not particularly user-friendly, rendering them less practical. For example, the Baking Soda Wash method comprises nine steps. How many of the young people in your home are likely to go to this effort before biting into an apple? If you’re busy with other things, do you need the added hassle of having to “swish around”, “push down” or scrub vegetables for 15-20 minutes?

Method 4: Ozone fruit and vegetable purifiers

Amazing Water Vegetable Washer in action

Ozone, also called active oxygen, is proven to be a powerful disinfecting agent, about 1.5 times stronger than chlorine and 3000 times stronger than hypochlorous acid. That pesticide remover you washed down the sink—in fact, everything that passes through the plumbing in your home—is treated with ozone at your local wastewater treatment plant before it’s reused. 

It also removes pesticides, herbicides, and other toxic chemicals on contact through the completely natural process of oxidation. Oxidation is a process in which a molecule loses an electron during a chemical reaction. Ozone (O3) is an oxidizing agent, meaning it pulls electrons from other molecules—including bacteria, viruses and pesticides—on contact, altering their chemical composition.

After use, ozone readily decomposes into oxygen, leaving behind no toxic residues. For its proven efficacy and safety rating, ozonated water treatments are already in use in healthcare, food and beverage and water treatment facilities in Europe, the United States and Canada. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed that ozone is a safer disinfectant than chlorine and other household chemicals, both in terms of human health and environmental impact.

Best of all, ozone vegetable and fruit washers like the Amazing Water Fruit & Vegetable Washer are simple, compact machines that convert oxygen in regular tap water into ozone. They require no chemicals or commercial additives; simply plug it in and press a button. After minutes, your produce is safe, fresh and ready to eat. It also stays fresher and crisper for longer. Contact Amazing Water to find out more about vegetable and fruit washers and other health products.