Cancer risk in fruits and vegetables: ‘Use baking soda instead of vinegar’

Pesticides, agricultural chemicals used in fruit and vegetable production, can lead to diseases when exposed excessively. Experts warning that pesticides can cause cancer and poisoning, among many other diseases, explained what needs to be done to rid foods of these chemicals as much as possible. Experts emphasized the use of baking soda instead of vinegar when washing fruits and vegetables. Agricultural pesticides called pesticides are used to protect fruits and vegetables from microorganisms and pests in agricultural production. Although there is a legal limit for pesticide use, consuming these chemicals excessively with foods can bring various health problems. Associate Professor Dr. Pelin Basım from Medipol Mega University Hospital and Assistant Professor Emine Olum, Head of Food Engineering and Culinary Arts Department at Istanbul Medipol University, warned about the issue. Breast, prostate, and colon cancer can be caused by pesticides. Dr. Basım said, ‘Pesticides are necessary to ensure the safety of agricultural products and prevent invasion by pests. However, they should be used in proper doses and conditions,’ and continued: ‘Unhealthy use of these chemicals or consuming them without cleaning can lead to many health problems. Various cancer diseases related to nutrition, such as Parkinson’s, especially breast, prostate, colon cancer, forgetfulness, premature aging, food poisoning due to toxic effects, and genetic diseases passing to the baby in the mother’s womb, can be caused.’ ‘Soak in baking soda water for 15-30 minutes.’ Dr. Pelin Basım, stating that using vinegar when washing fruits and vegetables is not sufficient, said, ‘There is a misconception among our people that vinegar water will completely clean these pesticides or that these pesticides can be cleaned with detergents. The best cleaning agent is baking soda. Soaking in baking soda water largely eliminates pesticides. We recommend soaking foods in baking soda water for 15-30 minutes.’ Basım also added that fruits and vegetables should be taken from reliable places, washed with plenty of water, and consumed peeled. What are the symptoms of pesticide poisoning? Basım, stating that consuming vegetables and fruits infected with high doses of pesticides can lead to poisoning, said: ‘Acute symptoms such as nausea, high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, resembling typical traveler’s diarrhea, are observed. When emergency services inquire about the consumed foods, pesticide poisonings are revealed. Exposure to high doses of pesticides chronically, rather than acute poisonings, can lead to diseases that cannot be prevented and treated. Especially in individuals with a history of cancer and chronic diseases, prolonged exposure to these pesticides can definitely trigger diseases. It can reveal a chain of diseases resulting in DNA breaks, genetic mutations, and the disappearance of cells that repair our immune system.’ Pesticides are mostly found in these products. Assistant Professor Emine Olum also provided important information about pesticides. Reminding that recently exported lemons were sent back to Turkey, Olum said that the legislation in Turkey is the same as the European Union (EU), but some farmers use more pesticides than necessary to increase efficiency due to economic concerns. Dr. Olum emphasized the need for farmers to be careful about exceeding the dosage when using chemical agricultural pesticides and stated that the fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides are strawberries, peaches, pineapples, grapes, nectarines, apples, pears, and spinach. Certified products should be purchased, and chain markets should be preferred. Dr. Olum explained what consumers should pay attention to when buying products: ‘Consumers can prefer products certified with Good Agricultural Practices and Organic Farming Certificate from large supermarkets. These certified products use pesticides with very low residue limits. The Ministry of Agriculture inspects these. Washing the products with plenty of water and peeling them are also effective. There are scientific studies showing that a ten percent baking soda solution effectively reduces pesticides. Chain markets inspect their suppliers and conduct analyses.’ Olum stated that increasing the education provided to farmers to reduce pesticide use is necessary and said, ‘The farmer should be aware that he is harming his soil and water. These trainings should be organized regularly and continuously. Farmers should be informed and supported on some healthy farming methods such as Good Agriculture.’ What is a pesticide? Chemical substances used against living organisms that harm plants and animals are called pesticides. They are used to eliminate or reduce certain harmful biological factors in agricultural production, such as pests, insects, rodents, lice, weeds, and post-harvest biological factors. The suitability of the analyses is evaluated according to the Turkish Food Codex Pesticide Maximum Residue Limits Regulation.