Is a vegetable washer useful?

Is a vegetable washer useful?

Currently, there are many pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits, and we’ve always been worried about whether they can be thoroughly washed clean. Vegetable washers available online have become quite popular—can they really remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables? Are you actually thinking of buying one for your family? Don’t worry—let the editor tell you all about it!

How do vegetable and fruit washers remove pesticide residues from produce?

Different vegetable washers operate on different principles; the most common types are as follows:

(1) Ultrasonic vegetable washing

Ultrasound can generate localized high pressure in water, triggering a cavitation effect that dissolves surface contaminants on food, thereby removing pesticides and dirt from the food’s surface.

Ultrasonic vegetable washing is a complete physical cleaning method that can remove dust from the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. However, ultrasonic waves do not have a sterilizing effect and may need to be combined with other methods to achieve sterilization.

(2) Wash vegetables using a water-based catalyst.

The essence of water-catalyzed pesticide removal actually lies in harnessing chemical reactions. Even though this method can eliminate pesticides, further research is still needed to determine whether the secondary byproducts generated after pesticide decomposition are safe. As a result, this type of vegetable washer isn't very popular on the market yet.

(3) Wash vegetables with ozone

Ozone is slightly soluble in water and has strong oxidizing properties. An aqueous solution of ozone can effectively remove organic pesticide residues and microorganisms from the surfaces of fruits and vegetables.

When using an ozone vegetable washer, our skin comes into direct contact with ozone, and we may even inhale it. However, this type of vegetable washer has almost been phased out of the market.

We often see in advertisements from various vegetable-washing companies that broccoli becomes greener after being cleaned by vegetable-washing machines. Many people mistakenly believe this is because pesticides or other contaminants on the surface of the broccoli have been completely removed.

But the truth is that broccoli has a natural wax coating on its surface. This wax acts like the fabric of an umbrella, making it very difficult for water to penetrate the broccoli. Once this wax layer is disrupted by ultrasonic treatment, water can easily seep in, making the broccoli appear greener and cleaner.

In addition, some merchants use stewed pork ribs and boiled meat to argue that the large number of bubbles produced during stewing and boiling are caused by antibiotics, hormones, and veterinary drugs present in the meat.

In fact, this claim is unfounded. The reason bubbles form is that residual blood in the tiny blood vessels of the meat or proteins between muscle fibers—acting as surfactants—combine with gases; it has nothing to do with so-called toxins.

How should I wash the fruits and vegetables I’ve bought?

In short, vegetable washers cannot completely remove pesticide residues and may to some extent cause a loss of nutrients in fruits and vegetables. Therefore, buying a vegetable washer isn't very useful.

To remove pesticide residues, it is recommended to rinse and rub fruits and vegetables under running清水 for 30 seconds. Generally, this type of washing can effectively remove pesticide residues.