Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides

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Raoul F. Duke

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Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« on: August 16, 2008, 11:15:01 AM »
There are some concerns about the safety of produce grown in China...and possibly with good reason. Today's groaning market shelves came about, in part, through the widespread use of agricultural chemicals, including pesticides. Including a lot of pesticides not legal to use or sell in our home countries. All applied by folks who, well, didn't exactly turn down an offer to enter a graduate Physics program in order to stay on the farm... aoaoaoaoao
Maybe not a problem in our stay in China is short, but it's nice to know what you're getting...

The Environmental Working Group has just issued the results of studies to see which produce carries the most, and least, load of pesticides with them.

The EWG's "dirty dozen" are peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, lettuce, grapes, pears, spinach, and potatoes.

The "cleanest 12" are onions, avocados, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mangos, sweet peas (frozen), asparagus, kiwis, bananas, cabbage, broccoli, and eggplants.

I always KNEW there was something sinister about celery... asasasasas
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2008, 12:27:35 PM »
I always KNEW there was something sinister about celery... asasasasas

You can definitely taste the difference between pesticide-laden celery and the organic stuff. The natural celery tastes like water.

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2008, 01:33:54 PM »
That's why I could never eat apples in China. Even peeled they have a funky taste. We had a topic some time ago on washing fruit and vegetable. I still use that special fruit & vegetable washing liquid especially with apples and grapes (oh, I soak them good for a while! Cause grapes that aren't washed well have this weird machine oil taste and smell  aaaaaaaaaa).
I miss my mom's and my grandma's summer gardens cause everything grows there without any chemicals.

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dasein

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Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2008, 01:39:49 PM »
Diluted vinegar in a spray bottle is a great way to wash away the pesticides off of fruit and veggies.  bfbfbfbfbf

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2008, 01:41:58 PM »
Unfortunately, some of them manage to get inside (e.g. strawberries). Plus, in soft fruit and vegetable having stuff sprayed/wash with leaves traces of smell/taste...

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2008, 09:43:03 PM »
At least they went easy on my beloved broccoli. 

I never cared for apples in China- the ones from B.C. back home are peerless.  But I'm fond of the strawberries.  What a downer.
And there is no liar like the indignant man... -Nietszche

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. -William James

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Mr Nobody

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Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #6 on: August 18, 2008, 12:49:41 AM »
Buy them from the little markets.

The little markets are supplied by poor farmers who can't afford such luxuries as bug sprays and other things, and instead use children to pick the bugs off with their fingers. The only fertilizer they use is shit. Human betimes, but only shit. Clean them well, for bacteria aren't nice. You can tell by all the bug-eaten holes in the leaves.


They are 'organic' by default. (I have never seen an inorganic veggie but what the hell would I know?)

Organic is often just another word for bug-eaten, worm-holed, weevil-riddled, bitter-tasting and small.

One advantage of living in the deep south - none of the waterways above us are polluted by hideous chemical factories, such as exist in the bigger centres like Guangdong. The story is you can still drink the river water here. Not that I would, or recommend it to anyone.
Just another roadkill on the information superhighway.

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synthette

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2009, 05:56:40 PM »
That's why I could never eat apples in China. Even peeled they have a funky taste. We had a topic some time ago on washing fruit and vegetable. I still use that special fruit & vegetable washing liquid especially with apples and grapes (oh, I soak them good for a while! Cause grapes that aren't washed well have this weird machine oil taste and smell  aaaaaaaaaa).


Would that be the same as "Fruit Fresh" you can buy in little tubs in the US? Haven't seen any in Canada though.......cider vinegar works well though, as it doesn't give the acrid taste of the vinegar - wonder if that's available in China?

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2009, 02:12:38 PM »
I saw cider vinegar in Walmart yesterday - a 1 litre bottle with a little 200ml freebie taped to it's side for about 30RMB.
You have to care for it to matter.
http://www.haerbinger.com - All About Harbin

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paddyfields

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2009, 03:39:03 PM »
There is an article on Greenpeace web-site along with a short video about the use of pesticides in China

Pesticides: not your problem?
April 09, 2009
Quote
  Beijing, China — Hungry? Well, you won’t be after you watch our video below on pesticide use in China or hear about our latest research which puts big name supermarkets to shame.

We’ve known for a long time that pesticides not only kill pests but they also poison our food. aaaaaaaaaa

Pesticides have been linked to cancer and fertility problems as well as other frightening long-term health effects.

And China uses a lot of pesticides.

http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/news/China-pesticides aoaoaoaoao aoaoaoaoao

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2011, 10:38:12 AM »
Hey this is great information Raoul.  I've been wondering about pesticides in my delicous fruits and veggies. 

Do you have a link/source? 

Thanks  ^_^
"The soldiers carry our hatred for us, and they do our killing for us. So do the police. We carry morality for them."

Re: Info on fruits and vegetables re: pesticides
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2011, 05:29:30 PM »
Scratch that,  I just looked up the Association mentioned.  Kudos.
"The soldiers carry our hatred for us, and they do our killing for us. So do the police. We carry morality for them."