What’s On Our Produce?

If you don’t already wash your produce, we’re here to tell you that you definitely need to before eating, even if it appears to be clean. The main risks you face by eating unwashed produce are pesticide residue and harmful bacteria-- both things you definitely don’t want to ingest! According to the FDA’s 2017 pesticide report, 9% of vegetables and 4% of fruits were in violation of the FDA’s pesticide residue thresholds. Even if you buy organic, organic produce can still have pesticide residue! WPTV News reported that of the 33 imported certified organic produce that they tested, 12% contained pesticide residue and 10% had trace amounts. This is in large part due to the contamination that comes from the soil (DDT) which can carry over from previous decades of pesticide use. Cross contamination is another common occurrence which can contaminate organic produce. In addition to that, there can be bits of dirt and small bugs on your food as well.

Luckily, there’s a way to ensure that you’re not consuming the dirt, bugs, bacteria, and pesticide residue! The Institute of Food Technologists found in 2019 that proper washing of fruits and vegetables can potentially decrease pesticide residue by up to 99%. For a natural way to clean, spray our natural produce wash directly on fruits/vegetables, rub thoroughly and rinse. You can also dilute Natural Guard with clean water and immerse fruits/vegetables in the water for 5-10 minutes and then rinse with clean water. For veggies like a head of lettuce or anything with a cluster of leaves, be sure to wash in between the leaves to get anything trapped inside out! Our produce wash is great for removing pesticides from both organic and conventional produce, and neutralizes hazardous chemicals at a cellular level! After soaking, rinse thoroughly and your produce is perfectly clean and ready to use!