How to Minimise Pesticide Residue When Growing or Buying Produce

Most commercially grown produce has traces of pesticides on it, but what is the best way for people to minimise how much pesticide residue they consume? Read on to discover some top tips for reducing pesticide residue when growing and purchasing fruit and vegetables.

Rinse the produce 

Because pesticides are a chemical residue, the best way to minimise a pesticide's effect is to remove it from food before consumption. If you have already washed the produce, then all you need to do is rinse the food under cold running water. You can also gently scrub hard fruits and vegetables with a brush while they are still wet to remove pesticide residue.

Minimise the number of pesticides you use

The best way to minimise pesticide residue is to limit the pesticides used near your produce. If you have a garden or allotment, plant products such as potatoes and carrots. Because these are grown underground, they don't require large amounts of pesticides to protect them from pests. At the end of the day, using fewer pesticides will likely reduce the amount of residue on the surface of your crops.

Use organic pesticides

In addition, when using household pesticides on your lawn and garden, always use products with instructions for organic use. These will be less harmful to you and the environment.

Target your use of pesticides

When using pesticides, always make sure that you target the chemicals to specific and local areas of your garden or lawn. It is important to spray the chemicals on an area of grass or plants rather than directly onto your fruit and vegetables to reduce the amount of residual pesticide. 

Ask about pesticide use

There are several other things you can do to help minimise pesticide residue on your food. For instance, when buying from local greengrocers and farmers markets, ask if they have used any pesticides recently and, if so, which ones they used. If they have not recently used any pesticides, ask them how much pesticide residue may be left on the produce.

Buy organic

Although it will not completely stop the problem, buying organic produce may reduce the amount of pesticide residue you consume because organic products tend to be less adversely affected by pesticides. Although buying organic produce will not remove all the pesticide residue, it will minimise the amount that you are exposed to.

For more info on pesticide residue, contact a local agricultural company today.