Should you wash fruit & vegetables in Thailand?
In short: yes. Scroll down to the bottom to find out the best cheap way.
I used to wash my fruits and vegetables. I stopped, because I thought I was being paranoid. But seems not.
Samples of the fruits and vegetables that we eat every day in Chiang Mai were shipped off to the UK for pesticide residue testing. I can't read Thai, so I did some digging. According to this Bangkok Post article, the report states that "46.6% of samples contained residues higher than the accepted safety standard level." The article doesn't specify if this is a Thai or UK safety standard level, but whichever it is - it's higher than it should be, right?
I find the results pretty sad, and I don't know if this is something I should worry about. What do you think?
The worst part for me is that "fruits and vegetables collected from modern trade outlets where consumers pay higher prices did not have much higher safety standards than those in wet markets, with 46% of produce from modern trade shops."
I (usually) specifically shop at supermarkets rather than fresh markets when I can because I thought they would be less likely to sell pesticide-contaminated products - especially when they outright state that they're clean.
The Bangkok Post article says that "25% of the products certified as being organic, which were supposed to be free of chemicals, were found to contain chemical residues exceeding the accepted standards." I don't buy organic, but I do try to buy produce with 'pesticide free' and 'pesticide residue free' stickers on them, specifically so I don't have to waste time washing them. This report is saying that the pesticide-free and pesticide-residue-free stickers on the products I buy... could mean nothing?
I wish they'd tested salad; that's the one thing that's a real bitch to wash and dry.
The image below, produced by Thai-PAN to show the results of the testing, shows that all of the red chillies, oranges and guavas tested had pesticide residue exceeding the standards. Most of the basil, yard long beans, kale, dragon fruit and papaya exceeded the standards. And a good percentage of mangoes, Chinese cabbages, morning glory, tomatoes and cucumbers failed too. But yay for clean baby eggplants, cabbages and watermelon!
 |
| source: http://www.thaipan.org/node/831 |
Sample size matters, though
According to Fruitnet.com, "the testing was based on 138 samples of fresh produce taken from various retail channels in the Greater Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Ubon Ratchathani areas during mid-May."
I'd really like to know how many fruits and vegetables of each variety were tested. If just two oranges were tested, as I think Ploenpote from the Bangkok Post said here, that's just not a big enough sample size. Sure, it indicates that there could be a problem here, but it's not enough to say that ALL oranges in Thailand are above the safety standard. Does anyone know how many samples of each variety there were? Let us all know in the comments please :)
Banned, highly toxic pesticides found
Ploenpot said that the UK testers also found banned chemicals like carbofuran and methomyl on the cucumbers and oranges. I looked those two pesticides up.
Wikipedia says that "carbofuran is one of the most toxic carbamate pesticides." Apparently it's particularly toxic to birds, and can be used to kill lions. I don't know about you, but I'm not that happy about inadvertently eating lion poison. Though obviously it's in much smaller quantities, so maybe it's nothing to worry about... the Wikipedia entry goes on to describe the effect of carbofuran in humans:
"Carbofuran has one of the highest acute toxicities to humans of any insecticide widely used on field crops (only aldicarb and parathion are more toxic). A quarter teaspoon (1 ml) can be fatal. Most carbofuran is applied by commercial applicators using closed systems with engineered controls so there is no exposure to it in preparation. Since its toxic effects are due to its activity as a cholinesterase inhibitor it is considered a neurotoxic pesticide."
I wonder if poor farmers here apply carbofuran to their crops in a closed system with engineered controls, especially when this Greenpeace report states that "in order to save
labour costs associated with spraying, farmers often mix pesticides themselves,
creating a “cocktail” of several chemicals without considering their synergistic effects."
OK. How about methomyl? ................. crap.
"Methomyl is a carbamate insecticide introduced in 1966. It is highly toxic to humans, livestock, pets, and wildlife." -- Wikipedia
Switzerland won't import a whole bunch of Thai produce because the pesticide level is too high
I Google-translated this article from RTS.ch, written in French, which was shared on social media today. Apparently, mini-peppers, Thai aubergines, basil or pepper products grown in Thailand are no longer exported from the country.How to remove pesticides from your fruit and vegetables
- Grow your own fruit and vegetables. Not really an option for me, and probably not for lots of you reading this.
- Don't worry about where you buy your fruit and veg from, and wash it before consumption. Heather over at Daily Mom says that you can do it by filling a large bowl with 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water and soaking your fruits and vegetables for 1.5 - 2 hours, then rinse and eat. White vinegar is super cheap here in Thailand.
- Alexandra from HealthyChild.org recommends discarding the outer layers of leafy vegetables before soaking.
- Eat more fruit and veg from 'The Clean 15' and less from 'The Dirty Dozen'.
I've seen some kind of detergent in Rimping that was labelled to be specifically for washing fruit and vegetables, too.
Do you think restaurants wash their ingredients?
If you know anywhere that does this, let me know in the comments section :)
Extremely pleasant article, I appreciated perusing your post, exceptionally decent share, I need to twit this to my adherents. Much appreciated!. https://beautikitchens.com/best-kitchen-faucets/
ReplyDeleteHowever, if you feel out of place in a painter's smock, you can buy attractive murals in the form of wallpaper and apply these to the door. Kitchen design in pakistan
ReplyDeleteI can set up my new thought from this post. It gives inside and out data. A debt of gratitude is in order for this significant data for all,.. turna.com
ReplyDeleteIts an unbelievable delight examining your post.Its overflowing with information I am looking for and I need to post a comment that "The substance of your post is radiant" Great work. Startups
ReplyDeleteCombination coffee-and-espresso makers come in many forms, from manual to automatic, but they all have the versatility to make multiple kinds of drinks. A handful of options (including ones on this list) can brew drip coffee, pull a shot of espresso, and even froth milk for lattes and cappuccinos best Keurig coffee maker
ReplyDeleteAs in antiquated occasions, seeing an individual conveying a bin brimming with handpicked things has its allure. We are talking explicitly about natural product crates here. For quite a long time, these things have been a top pick of organizations that send them to accomplices and customers as a vacation or thank you blessing.rare fruit
ReplyDeleteEv taşıma ve ticari alan taşımaları günümüz de artık eskiye oranla son derece profesyonel şekilde yapılabilmektedir. Kartal evden eve nakliyat
ReplyDeleteBirçok etkene bağlı olarak değişen ücretler hakkında, firma yetkilileri yeterli bilgiye sahip olmadan fiyat vermemektedir. eşya depolama
ReplyDeleteTHERAPlatform is where the primary element has consistently been telehealth and the training the board framework has developed around it. remove character from string python
ReplyDeleteThe first phase the preparation should, theoretically, be uninfluenced by the intended intensity and duration of the sound which is subsequently produced. In fact, however, so quickly are the three phases accomplished that the pianist rarely has capacity to think, in performance, of each phase separately. 集客代行サービス
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog. Great article. It's most evident, people should learn before they are able to 犬のしつけdvd
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time visit to your blog and I am very interested in the articles that you serve. Provide enough knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful and don't forget, keep sharing useful info: white house market url
ReplyDeleteWow, cool post. I'd like to write like this too - taking time and real hard work to make a great article... but I put things off too much and never seem to get started. Thanks though. white water rafting
ReplyDeleteI simply want to tell you that I am new to weblog and definitely liked this blog site. Very likely I’m going to bookmark your blog . You absolutely have wonderful stories. Cheers for sharing with us your blog. CBD Gummies Vegan Mixed Berries
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time visit to your blog and I am very interested in the articles that you serve. Provide enough knowledge for me. Thank you for sharing useful and don't forget, keep sharing useful info: helena microgreen
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. I Have Been wondering about this issue, so thanks for posting. Pretty cool post.It 's really very nice and Useful post.Thanks виза за Канада онлайн
ReplyDeleteHundreds were killed and thousands more mesh bags for onions were left destitute when whole areas were cleared away.
ReplyDeleteExcellent article. Very interesting to read. I really love to read such a nice article. Thanks! keep rocking. solicitude de visado da India
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this I thought it was extremely and very informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this information together. Eligible citizens can apply for a Turkey Visa Online through a simple online application form to obtain an approved e-Visa electronically linked to their passport.
ReplyDeleteAttractive component of the material. I just stumbled across your web site and accession capital to say that I really enjoyed your site. With just a few clicks, foreign nationals can apply for a Kenya online visa application from their home. Fill the form with accurate and complete information about the passenger's data.
ReplyDeleteYour talent is really appreciated!! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWould you mind me wondering where you got the graphic in this post from style.
고스톱
This is a topic that’s near to my heart… Many thanks!!! Indian 30 Days Tourist eVisa from USA, US citizens are eligible to apply for the India eVisa. The process is completely online and there is no need to submit the paperwork in person to any Indian Embassy or Consulate.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the article post. Thanks Again. Awesome.
ReplyDeletehttp://breadgarden20.jigsy.com/
Spot lets start on this write-up, I truly feel this website needs a lot more consideration. I’ll apt to be again to learn to read additional, thank you that information. spore cheats
ReplyDeleteHi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a similar one and i was just wondering if you get a lot of spam comments? If so how do you protect against it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving me crazy so any assistance is very much appreciated. fashion
ReplyDeletebike racks could really help you secure your bike when you leave it ,. fashion
ReplyDeleteDo you mind basically if I refer to a few of your current blogs given that I deliver you acknowledgement plus article sources returning to your webpage? My web portal is in the equivalent market as yours and my prospects would certainly take benefit from a lot of the additional info that you provide here. Please tell me if it is okay with you. All the best! marketing strategy
ReplyDeleteCredo che lei abbia sbagliato. Sono in grado di provarlo. Scrivere a me in PM, parlare. Rate of Change Calculator
ReplyDeleteYou have provided me with some very useful illustrated information. I am grateful for this. I am sure it will be of great use to me in my future projects. How to get an e-Tourist Visa for India? Foreign tourists who dream of visiting India for tourism can apply online for an Indian Tourist Visa. You can check types of India e-tourist visa then you can apply 30 days India e-Tourist visa online via Indian visa website.
ReplyDelete