THE FACTS:
Pesticides: Substances meant for attracting and then destroying any pest
Produce is: Mass Produced, Imported/ Exported
This leads to an increased use of pesticides
Why use pesticides: Used to control weeds, insect infestations and diseases
Every $1 spent on pesticides for crops yields $4 in crops
However: Pesticides also cause cancer, birth defects, respiratory disorders, infertility, etc.
The FDA on Pesticides:
“Washing fresh produce before eating is a healthful habit. You can reduce and often eliminate residues by
following this simple tip: Wash produce with cold or warm tap water prior to consumption.”
This is mostly straight forward when dealing with larger produce, that would be consumed few units at a time, such as an apple. Berries, on the other hand, are very small and are consumed multiple units at a time.
So what's the problem?
1: People don't wash one berry at a time
2: Due to their intricate shapes, pesticides and residues accumulate in berries more than in other produce
3: How to clean berries effectively?
But first... how are berries currently cleaned?
Youtube Video Screenshots
There are no established “How to clean berries” guidelines, but people clean them in similar ways, involving:
- A bowl
- Water
- Berries
- Fingers
(Fingers are a key element!
Used to create a spinning
motion inside the bowl, get
the berries moving and the
residue coming off)
Once again...
How to clean berries effectively?
Without all the steps that the “finger-in-bowl-with-water” method entails?
