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Cooking Tips

Shocking Strawberry Bugs: How To Properly Wash Fruits & Veggies

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Cooking Tips

Shocking Strawberry Bugs: How To Properly Wash Fruits & Veggies

May 25, 2020

A new (and horrifying) TikTok trend has emerged recently, and it will change the way you eat strawberries. Dubbed the “Strawberry Challenge”, it sees users submerging unwashed strawberries in saltwater for a few minutes, then reacting in horror and panic as bugs, worms and other creepy crawlies are seen emerging from inside the fruits.

What’s perhaps even more horrifying is that experts say this is perfectly normal business. You can check out some strawberry-purging videos here, here and here but fair warning, they’re not for the faint-hearted.

Where do the bugs come from?

The plain truth is this: We have actually been eating bugs for as long as we have been eating fruits. As Greg Leob, an entomologist and professor at Cornell University told CNN, “If you’re eating fresh produce, you’re eating bugs.”

This is because fruit flies, specifically the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD), would often lay their eggs inside soft-flesh fruits, like raspberries, cherries, and strawberries, right before harvest, according to strawberry and small fruit crop entomologist Sriyanka Lahiri who is also an assistant professor at the University of Florida in an interview with Health.com.

Credit: Canva

Will eating bugs make you sick?

“There are organisms on your fruit and even if it makes people uncomfortable, it’s definitely not going to hurt them. Eating those bugs won’t make you sick,” says Leob.

Since digesting fruit flies and other creepy crawlies found in strawberries is (fortunately) not harmful, not much action has been taken by food authorities around the world.

For example, the US Food and Drug Administration allows a certain percentage of defects to remain in the food, explaining that it is ‘economically impractical’ for crops to be a 100 per cent free from all defects, including bugs, worms and mould.

It sounds unsettling, but this is why eggs can hatch within the ripened fruit and, as we have seen on TikTok are forced out of hiding when the fruit is soaked in salt water.

You might be feeling queasy about having a little extra protein in your fruits, but Loeb shares that there is no need to go the extra mile when washing your fruits, just water alone is sufficient as the bugs that you might ingest are tiny ones that you won’t even notice.

After all, people have been consuming strawberries and their hidden bugs for centuries with no known negative health effects, though you might just want to rinse for a few more seconds, for good measure.

Credit: Unsplash

The real problem with fresh produce

In fact, we should be more concerned about consuming pesticide on our fruits and vegetables. If you’ve ever eaten unnaturally bitter greens or taken a bite out of a particularly waxy apple, you might not have washed your fresh produce properly.

Despite strict standards set by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and stringent checks, The Straits Times reported in 2016 that some 300 batches were stopped from being sold after pesticide residue found on samples exceeded levels allowed by authorities.

To keep your family safe, here’s the right way to wash your fruits and vegetables to get rid of pesticide residue (and other microbes) to keep your food safe for eating:

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https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/food/cooking-tips/washing-pesticide-fruits-vegetables-correctly/
Shocking Strawberry Bugs: How To Properly Wash Fruits & Veggies
It Is Safe To Eat Fruits With Their Skins But...
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Pesticide residue on fruits in the market are already at very low and safe amounts and a wash will further reduce the level of residue. Peeling is effective for eliminating pesticide residue as most of the residue collects on the surface of fruits.

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Remember To Remove Wax On Citrus Peels
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Fruit producers might spray the skin of citrus fruits with a thin layer of wax after the fruit is harvested to keep it looking fresh and to protect it from a bumpy transit from supplier to consumer.

Some suggestions on how to remove the wax include scrubbing and then rinsing it, or soaking it in hot water.

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Tips For Cleaning Vegetables
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To get rid of pesticide residue and microbes like bacteria on vegetables, you should always wash them well before consumption.

Trim off the lower portion of vegetables that tend to carry more soil, for example kang kong, including the roots before washing, according to the AVA.

Generally, a 30-second rinse followed by a 15-minute soak, and a final rinse will help to remove a significant portion of pesticide residue, says the AVA.

Soak vegetables in a clean bowl as the sink might contain bacteria.

Gently rub the surface of your fruits and vegetables while rinsing to remove any residual dirt.

Pay particular attention to the base of vegetable stems since dirt or residue tend to get trapped there.

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Tips For Cleaning Root Vegetables
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According to the AVA, root vegetables such as carrot, daikon and potatoes should be scrubbed under running water or in a basin before rinsing and soaking to remove dirt or residue from their surface.

You can also peel such root vegetables to further reduce the presence of pesticide residue, says Tay Su Chin, deputy director of Academic & Student Development at Temasek Polytechnic’s School of Applied Science.

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Gently Rinse Mushrooms
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It is often said that mushrooms should not be washed as they absorb moisture easily and become waterlogged, affecting their taste when cooked.

One way to get around it is to either wipe the mushrooms with a damp cloth, or give them a quick rinse just before use to remove the loose bits stuck to the mushrooms, says Mrs Tay.

Mushrooms can be gently washed under running water and immediately wiped dry, the AVA advises.

“Some studies have shown that briefly rinsing mushrooms does not cause tangible changes to their taste and texture,” it adds.

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Should You Use Commercial Vegetable Washes?
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While washing solutions for vegetables and fruits are sold in the market, promising to get rid of microbes and pesticides, their effectiveness has been a topic of debate.

The AVA says, “While some commercial products claim to be specially designed for washing pesticide residues off the surface of fruits and vegetables, there is no international consensus on their effectiveness”.

One study by the University of Maine in the United States suggests that distilled water was just as, or even more, effective in removing pesticide residue and microbes compared to three commercial vegetable washes the research team tested.

Tip: an alternative to distilled water is clean cold tap water.

Read Next

12 Clever Food Storage Hacks To Keep Asian Ingredients Fresh For Longer

5 Budget-Friendly Ways to Disinfect Your Entire Home

8 Surprising Vegetables You Can Eat Without Cooking

Text: Joan Wong/AsiaOne, Samantha Boh/The Straits Times, Additional Reporting: Elizabeth Liew

This post was updated on May 25, 2020. 

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  • TAGS:
  • Cleaning
  • Fruits
  • Kitchen
  • pesticide
  • Vegetables
  • washing
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