Preservatives are what fruits and vegetables-selling companies use to make the produce last longer. In other words, preservatives do exactly what their name suggests.
Preservatives are commonly used in almost every industry from food, medications, cosmetics and other products and protect them from spoiling. However, these Preservatives are not considered healthy. Therefore, you may have to eliminate them from your diet if you have a reaction to a preservative. But how to eliminate preservatives from the fruits that we eat.
How To Eliminate Preservatives From The Fruits?
Knowing Bad Preservatives
If your doctor has told you to try to avoid preservatives, find out exactly what you have to avoid and ask about sample foods. While “eliminating preservatives” often refers to eliminating artificial preservatives, realize that salt, sugar and vinegar are preservatives too, and some preservatives you might consider artificial can occur in a natural form. Sulfites, for example, form naturally when grapes ferment into wine, and they can be present in balsamic and wine vinegars as well.
Coating On the Fruit
The skins of many fruits and vegetables produce a protective waxy layer to shield them from dehydration and other hazards. The champion is the Asian “fuzzy melon,” which produces a thick enough layer of wax to preserve the gourd for months. Ordinary cucumbers, melons and other fruits produce thinner waxy layers that rinse off as the fruits are cleaned for market. Produce processors frequently spray their fruits and vegetables with a fine film of approved wax, lacquer or resin coating to replace the natural protection they’ve lost. It’s therefore suggested to wash off these coatings before eating the produce.
Water Rinsing the Fruit
The FDA considers these aforementioned coatings to be safe for consumption, however removing them before using the produce is considered better. This has the additional benefit of removing the majority of micro-organisms that can cause food-borne illness. The FDA’s recommendation is to wash your hands thoroughly before beginning, then rinse your produce carefully under cool running water.
Important Note: A number of commercial produce rinses are available on the market for fruits and vegetables. The FDA advises against using them, since they’re no more effective than rinsing in water.
