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Do you wash food you bring from the grocery store, farmer’s market, roadside stall, or your personal garden? To be honest, some of the produce in my pantry or refrigerator—hot house cucumbers, radishes, and cherry tomatoes, to name a few—always gives a good rinse, as I’m just as guilty of roasting cauliflower without running to the sink. While it’s common knowledge that it’s best practice to wash all of our products before use, what exactly is “clean”?
How dirty can that piece of fruit really be?
The cleanest strawberries or tomatoes might be dirtier than you think if you look at them under a microscope. There will always be something lying on the surface of your produce, no matter how the fruits or vegetables were grown – using hydroponics, traditional outdoor farming methods, greenhouses or some other method. Even if they’ve been exposed to dust, dirt, or even pesticides, fruits and vegetables are still living creatures that need to be fed and cared for before they’re placed in your shopping cart. Unfortunately, this means that Salmonella, E. Germs like coli and listeria can potentially attach to your vegetables, from contaminated soil or water.
Many even after its cultivation and collection During its journey through the supply chain, the product needs a layer of protection, usually in the form of a wax coating. These wax coatings are usually suitable for food use, although sometimes they contain fungicides or dyes.
Since there’s a good chance my produce has some dirt on its surface, washing it thoroughly should be a bigger priority for me than it is now. “Thoroughly wash all produce under running water before preparing and/or eating, including produce grown at home or purchased at the grocery store or farmers market,” advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It seems pretty straightforward, but will it be enough to remove anything unpleasant?
Why do people wash their produce with baking soda?
Bicarbonate of soda (or, more commonly, baking soda) is used in myriad ways, not just as a leavening agent in baking. As an alkaline salt, baking soda is mildly abrasive, making it perfect for gentle cleaning, which is why you can often find it in toothpastes and mouthwashes.
Arm & Hammer suggests using 1 teaspoon of baking soda for every 2 cups of cold water, tossing produce into the mixture, and letting it soak for 12 to 15 minutes to clean.
Baking soda, according to Sara House, Bob’s Red Mill Food Innovation Chef, “helps remove residue from the outside of the product.” “I recommend washing in cold, clean water before drying and storing,” adds House.
What about pesticides?
You’ll notice that a common goal of washing food with baking soda on TikToks is to get rid of pesticides. It also makes sense—pesticides are scary! In their Pesticide Data Program, the USDA routinely tracks pesticide residues on food; However, an examination of the data has shown that, although pesticides are frequently detected, the concentrations are below those that would be dangerous to consumers. Buying locally produced or organic produce at farmers markets is one way to reduce your exposure to pesticides.
After the suggested 12 to 15 minutes, baking soda, an alkaline substance, will begin to damage the skins and surfaces of more delicate fruits and vegetables. With prolonged contact, baking soda can even soften beans and other pulses. According to House, this indicates that “sturdy items with smooth skin will keep best” (such as apples, pears, certain melons, squash, etc.). Furthermore, research indicates that washing food in tap water alone reduces pesticide residues by 26.7-98.9%, while washing produce in a baking soda solution reduces it by 66.7-98.9%. Since we now know that residual levels of pesticides are essentially non-existent, the benefit of baking soda is minimal.
What are the other options for washing fruits and veggies?
The CDC and FDA warn against using many of the cleaning solutions available on the market for the purpose of cleaning fruits and vegetables, such as Arm and Hammer spray, which is made up mostly of baking soda and purified water. The product is permeable as FDA warns. Even after thorough cleaning, soaps and household detergents can contaminate fruits and vegetables and cause illness.
To baking soda or not to baking soda?
Ultimately, studies have shown that there is so little benefit to washing your produce in a baking soda solution that you shouldn’t worry too much about it unless you want to take the time. Regardless of the cleaning method you choose, always make sure the food is completely dried to stop bacteria from growing. Brenna Lai Killeen, MPH, RD, farmer and chef at Killeen Crossroads Farm in Shelburne, Vermont, advises that if you’re really concerned about pesticides, “either buy organic produce or source from farmers who grow without using pesticides.” Maybe you need that teaspoon of baking soda for your upcoming cookie recipe.
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