Fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious but also highly perishable, leading them to often be contaminated with toxic pesticides. Testing found that 98% of apples and over 95% of celery contained at least one pesticide residue. Common fruits and vegetables like strawberries, spinach, and grapes frequently test positive for pesticides. Pesticides are designed to kill and are generally not good for human consumption. Reducing exposure by peeling produce and washing hands and surfaces thoroughly can help lower health risks from pesticide residues.

1. ROSHNA S. RAGHAVAN

2. Fruits and vegetables
are highly nutritious
and form a key food
commodity in the
human consumption.
They are highly
perishable due to their
low shelf life. These
food commodities are
reported to be
contaminated with
toxic and health
hazardous chemicals.

3. Apples, a staple in
many refrigerators,
topped the list with 98
percent testing
positive for a
pesticide and 92
percent testing
positive for two or
more pesticides.
Coming in second
was celery, with
more than 95 percent
testing positive for at
least one pesticide.

4. Pesticides are toxic. They
are designed to kill
things and most are not
good for you.
The list include:
strawberries, peaches,
spinach, nectarines,
grapes, sweet bell
peppers, potatoes,
blueberries, water
melon and sweet corn

5. Ethephon is a
pesticide and so it
is not
recommended as
a ripening
enhancer.

6. Oxytocin is a mammalian
hormone, used as a drug in
veterinary services and is
not advised for use in fresh
fruits and vegetables

8. •Peeling of fruits before
consumption and vegetables before
cooking will reduce exposure to
pesticide.
•Do not buy and consume cut fruits
from open market.
•Throw away fruits and vegetables
infected by Mould/fungus.

10. •Do not wash fruits and
vegetables with detergents as
they may get absorbed inside.
•Wash your
hands with soap and potable
water, use clean utensil and c
lean cutting board with stainless
steel knives