How to Recognize Tainted Vegetables

There are more concerns everyday about store bought vegetables tainted with chemical pesticides. Furthermore, the overuse of animal fertilizers is resulting in vegetables tainted with harmful bacteria. While vegetables are an essential part of a healthy diet, the pesticides and bacteria that often cling to them, are not the things that you want to be eating. So, what can you do to recognize tainted vegetables before you buy them?

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Watch out for perfect looking vegetables. Those abnormally large, perfectly formed and shiny vegetables may actually carry a serious health hazard. A perfect appearance may imply that the vegetables are coated with chemical laden waxes and were grown with heavy doses of fertilizers and pesticides.

2. Look for the leaves of your vegetables to have holes and other signs that they have been nibbled on by insects. If there is evidence of insect activity, it implies the use of weak or no pesticides.

3. Check the labels. If it says "organic," you are safe from any harsh chemicals. However, be aware that organic will not save you from bacteria tainted vegetables, as bacterias can stem from animal fertilizers common in organic vegetable production. So, it is still very important to wash organic vegetables thoroughly, as well.

4. Buy local, when in doubt. Imported fruits and vegetables tend to have the biggest problems with bacteria because they pass through many hands and are shipped alongside bacteria laden animal products. When buying locally you are granted the opportunity to ask the producer about his or her product, how they handle the food and if they use harsh pesticides and animal fertilizers, that harbor bacteria.

Tips & Warnings

• Tainted vegetables are difficult to recognize. To limit the amount of chemicals in your greens, mix it up. Eat a large variety of fruits and vegetables to avoid excessive exposure to the contaminants of one single food item.
• When vegetables are shipped or prepared with animal products they can become contaminated with bacteria. Always wash your vegetables well in clean water several times and then soak them for at least an hour to reduce the health risks of tainted vegetables. You can also blanch vegetables to kill bacteria by boiling them for one minute.
• The skins of fruits and vegetables hold most of the pesticides and create a protective layer that prevents bacteria from entering the food product. Remove outer leaves and peel your fruits and vegetables before eating them to be sure you are not ingesting harmful bacteria and pesticides.

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