Do you know there could be pesticides on what you are eating? Do you know it can affect your health? Now, you might have many questions on your mind about the plants, pests, or your favorite fruit!
If you are curious about knowing what pesticides are used on the strawberries read on for more information about what pesticides are used, how to wash them off, how to check them for pesticides and how to choose organic ones.
Pesticides Used On Strawberries
The most commonly used pesticide on strawberries is Tetrahydrophthalimide.
Below is a list of pesticides that are used on strawberries. This list is just a gist of information available on What’s On My Food website, you can check it for details. According to this site, the USDA Pesticide Data Program has found 45 pesticides on strawberries.
Pesticides On Strawberries:
| Pesticide | Occurrence % |
| Tetrahydrophthalimide | 55.3% |
| Pyraclostrobin | 43.5% |
| Captan | 42.6% |
You can see the detailed list on the website if you are interested in knowing the entire list! It is a good idea to know about the pesticides since it would give you an idea of what you are putting in your body.
Maintaining a healthy diet is important and nowadays, people are trying to indulge in a healthy lifestyle that is full of fruits and vegetables containing vitamins and minerals.
Some people might not even know what pesticides they are consuming unless you create awareness and let them know of the pesticides and the impact on their health!
Unfortunately, strawberries are at the top of the list of pesticide-contaminated foods:
How To Clean Strawberries Pesticides
Obviously, you are not going to feed anything harmful to your family and hence, it is a good idea to clean the strawberry pesticides so that you can enjoy your favorite fruit without thinking much about the pesticides. You can find a variety of information but it is always best to wash the produce first!
There are also products available in the market that can help you wash the pesticides off from the fruits. Some people go to the extent of buying organic strawberries but these could contain pesticides too! So, it is always best to wash the fruit thoroughly. Some people use items like vinegar, baking soda and many other DIY methods for removing pesticides. (source)
You can use products such as:
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- Pesticide test strips or pesticide test kits.
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- To use the test kits or strips, it is best to follow the instruction manual. You have to get the sample of the fruit and using the test tubes and relevant testing solutions you can check the fruit for pesticides.
Here is a strip test kit on Amazon.
If you are willing to spend more there are some cool gadgets that you can buy to test the fruits and vegetables for nitrates. Greentest, High Accuracy Food Detector is an example of such a device from Amazon.
Strawberry Pesticides Side Effects
Below are some of the risks associated with strawberry pesticides:
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- According to a study, there is a possibility of a lower IQ in children. The prenatal exposure to pesticides is linked to lower IQ in children in this particular study.
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- Strawberry is at the top of the list in the dirty dozens as per the report by the Environmental Working Group. In this study, a single sample of strawberry had 20 pesticides. According to the World Health Organization, the pesticides are so harmful that they can cause cancer, a problem in reproduction, and can even affect the nervous system of humans.
You can do a little research of your own by getting detailed information on the different kinds of pesticides found on strawberries and it can give you an idea about the impact. The best thing to do is to be conscious of what you are putting in your mouth!
Organic Strawberries Pesticides
It is possible to grow your own organic strawberries. However, there are chances of pesticides even on organic strawberries.
For the organic strawberry plants, the farmers usually need the help of fumigants to grow these. Now, this class of pesticides is considered quite harmful. It can cause cancer, hole to the layer of ozone, and there are chances of the developmental problems as well!
A strawberry plant can end up in an organic or conventional farm but the start of its life could be different. Now, you don’t know whether the strawberry plant is from a soil that was pumped with fumigants.
However, organic strawberries would require the use of fewer fumigants than conventional ones.
The main reason for using the fumigant is that if a single strawberry is infected it can impact the entire crop. Mainly the risk of such pesticides is more to the farmers and the people nearby who are exposed to it!
Pesticides Used On Strawberries
According to an annual report by the Environmental Working Group, the highest level of pesticide contamination is found in strawberries (source). In fact, you should keep an eye on the plants that have made to the list of dirty dozen! It includes:
- Strawberries
- Apple
- Peaches
- Celery
- Grapes
- Tomatoes
- Pears
- Cherries
- Nectarines
- Spinach
- Potatoes
- Sweet bell peppers
Strawberries are vulnerable to pests in the soil since these are grown in the soil.
How Can You Know If Pesticides Were Used On Strawberries
To know whether the strawberries you are buying have pesticides used on it or not? Well, you have to look for a label or a certification that says it is organic or naturally grown. Otherwise, a majority of fruits and vegetables that are grown these days contain pesticides.
Sometimes a bug bite can guide you of the fruit not being treated with pesticides. However, keeping in view the fact that everyone is busy in the hustle and bustle of life, everyone is seeking the perfect shape of fruits and vegetables, whether it is a strawberry or something else.
Why Are Pesticides Used On Strawberries And What Happens If Not
The purpose of using pesticides on fruits and vegetables is to protect them from pests and diseases. Imagine if there are rodents on the farm or any other pests! Are you going to eat the strawberry from this farm? Without the use of pesticides on the fruits, these would be less in quantity.
The use of pesticides on the plants is to save the crops. Hence, if pesticides are not used on strawberries it can affect production, rentability, and farms.
Where To Find Pesticide-free Strawberries
As strawberries have topped the list of dirty dozen, you now have an idea about the pesticide situation with strawberries. It is important to get the pesticide-free strawberries or at least find the one that has the minimum level so that it is not harmful to your health.
Usually, the fruits grown in Canada seem to have positive reviews but a simple online search can give you a variety of resources that can help you find the pesticide-free strawberries. You can find platforms where strawberries are sold! Make sure you find the best out there!
You can check the customer reviews, ask people on social media, or generally ask your friends and family members to tell you the best possible source of finding the pesticide-free strawberries.
Limiting The Pesticides
It is important to limit the use of pesticides on your strawberries and other fruits or vegetables. Below are some of the tips that can be of some help:
1. Make sure you are washing the outer layer of the fruits thoroughly with water. Keep the health of your family in mind and wash the fruit for at least 30 seconds. When you wash the fruit, it means there are chances of minimizing the pesticides on the outer layer.
2. Some people would prefer to use special cleaners. It is your personal choice. However, you can use a brush to scrub the surface of the fruit. It can help in eliminating the pesticide from the fruit’s surface to some extent.
3. If you want, you can peel or trim the outer layer but you have to be careful while doing so since the purpose of eating fruits is not only enjoying the taste but take the maximum benefit from the vitamins and other healthy components.
4. You can search for the organic version or for the version that is certified and assures you of the minimum consumption of pesticides! However, it is important for you to keep in mind that organic strawberries can contain pesticides too.
So, you have to be careful in your selection. If you visit the local store check for the labels or the certification. If it is not there that means there would be the use of pesticides.
Final Words
It is important to maintain a healthy diet and you are trying your best. However, when it comes to eating fruits and vegetables, strawberries can be your favorite refrigerator item! But, it is important to be aware of the fact that even the fruits and vegetables contain some pesticides that can impact your health.
So, even if you are indulged in healthy eating and enjoying a healthy lifestyle it is important to make sure what you are putting in your mouth is safe and not a source of many diseases. Thus, make sure you are washing your strawberries thoroughly when you buy it from the market even when it is organic make sure you wash it well!
You have to make sure you check for the certification of declaring the strawberries you buy having a minimum level of pesticides.