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Washing vegetables during Pandemic

 While you are very busy in sanitizing each and every product that you bring home; cleaning of vegetables and fruits is a big question that everyone is facing. 

Can we sanitize it through alcohol based sanitizer / soap? If we do not sanitize fresh produce it may transfer virus to us. Is that question you have in your mind?

As the number of corona-virus case are increasing everyday precautions and sanitization are the only weapon we have to protect ourselves.

 

 

YES

NO

1

So do you need any costly sanitizer for cleaning of your vegetables or fruits? 

 

 

 

2

Are these sanitizers use on edible fruits and veg safe?

 

 

 

3

Can humans eat such fruits and vegetables and digest them without any side effects? 

 

 

 

If you answer NO to all questions, what is another method to clean such food products?

Now due to corona virus attack, we have many disinfectant products coming in market with name of veggies wash, veggie care, neem wash etc. all these products are sort of advertising and produced for money purposes only. You never know how much virus, bacteria and microorganism such kinds of products will kill and till when will you wash with such liquids? Are they pocket safe? Won’t chemicals killing corona-virus affect our food and thereby entering in our body?

EPA United States Environment Protection Agency has generated list of registered disinfectant products to be used against SARS –Cov – 2 (COVID -19). There are more than 100 registered products. These disinfectant products are used to vanish harder to kill bacteria / pathogens than corona virus, which means highly infectious bacteria can also be killed by such products and they can be used over any surface in industry, in hospitals or at home. Disinfectant products have quaternary ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorous acid, sodium carbonate, ethyl alcohol etc. as their active ingredients.

 

 

So let’s rush and purchase washing products?

Answer is NO!!!

The FDA says it is a complete myth that soap, detergent or any special liquid is required to clean vegetables and fruits, gently rub produce while holding under plain running water. There’s no need to use soap or a veggie wash liquids. However, it is important to cook food thoroughly before consuming. “Keep the raw and cooked food separate, especially raw meat and fresh vegetables”.

Why you shouldn’t use soap?

Fruits and vegetables have extremely porous skins that absorb the chemicals from soap. When we eat these items, we may also ingest residues of soap or detergent absorbed by the vegetable. This intake could lead to variety of health problems like nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain etc. some of these problem may falsely look like COVID-19 symptom and increases tension in patient.

Vinegar, baking soda and salt wash

Some people may advice you to wash your veggies in vinegar, salt, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). But none of these are recommended as washing agent in the case of vegetables and fruits. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that soaking veggies in vinegar will kill corona-virus.

Salt or baking sodas do remove pesticides from the surface of fresh produce but whether they kill coronavirus is still need to research.

What about hot water wash?

Big NO! They harm the fresh produce, they cause changes in color and taste of veggies and fruits. Also reduces its shelf-life.

We should simply wash our veggies as we have always been doing – in plain water, preferably running water. US FOOD and DRUG ADMINISTRATION does not recommend any soap or detergent and says clean water is sufficient. But you should take care of washing your hands frequently i.e. the time when you purchase veggies, after washing veggies and before cooking food you need to wash your hands. 

 

 

Won’t virus spread through vegetables if we do not wash with soap? Not through food. There is no evidence to state that the coronavirus can spread through food.

 The Arogyam post tries to solve most of your queries, kindly comment for any questions.

 

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