✓ How to wash fruit and vegetables when pregnant

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Sometimes rinsing fruit and vegetables under running water is not enough. Especially if a pregnant mother eats, it takes some extra care to prevent toxoplasmosis. For washing fruit and vegetables when pregnant no expensive detergents or special products are required. During pregnancy we can guarantee the hygiene and safety of plant foods and prevent Toxoplasmosis by washing fruit and vegetables with natural, economical and safe products.

Washing fruits and vegetables: Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a microorganism called Toxoplasma gondii. In the vast majority of cases you don't even realize you have had it, because it gives symptoms mild and general, such as tiredness, headache or throat, feeling of "broken bones". Once contracted, it leaves a permanent immunity, that is, there is no more risk of getting sick. The problem, however, is that if taken during pregnancy it can be very dangerous for the baby, as it can pass to the fetus via the placenta. The current state there is no vaccine against toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis is often asymptomatic, so it would be good to know your state before pregnancy, that is, to know if antibodies to toxoplasmosis are present in your serum. It is a simple blood test, called Toxo-test, which allows you to classify women into three classes: "protected", "susceptible" or "at risk".

However, there are a number of behaviors and practices that can significantly reduce the risk of contracting this disease.

A study that involved several centers in Europe, including two Del Paeseni centers (one in Madrid and one in our city), published in the British Medical Journal in 2000, indicates consumption as one of the main sources of infection in pregnant women undercooked meat. In fact, the results show that the main risk factors are related to food (from 30 to 63% of cases due to the intake of undercooked meat). It is therefore necessary to avoid tasting the meat while it is being prepared and to wash your hands very well under running water after having touched it. The same study highlights that another important source of contamination is represented by the manipulation of the land of the vegetable gardens and gardens, where infected animals may have defecated. It is therefore necessary that those who carry out gardening activities wash their hands very well before touching their mouth or the mucous membrane of the eyes. The same applies to the consumption of fresh vegetables and fruit, which must be washed thoroughly under running water.

Here is the correct way to wash them safely:

Thoroughly rinse raw fruits and vegetables under running water before eating or preparing them, especially fruits that need to be peeled or chopped, such as cantaloupe and other melons. Bacteria can be found on the outer peel or peel.
Do not use soap, detergents or bleach solutions to wash the products.
As an added precaution, use a small vegetable brush to remove surface dirt.
Try to cut the damaged or bruised areas - bacteria can thrive in these places.

The double contamination of food

To prevent cross contamination:

always wash your hands after handling raw foods
store raw and ready-to-eat foods separately
Store raw meat in sealable containers at the bottom of the refrigerator so that it cannot drip onto other foods
use a different cutting board for raw and ready-to-eat foods, or wash it thoroughly when preparing different types of food
Thoroughly clean knives and other utensils after using them with raw food
do not wash raw meat or poultry - any harmful bacteria will be killed by thorough cooking and washing could splash harmful bacteria into the kitchen

Washing fruit and vegetables: the methods

Washing with water

Washing fruit and vegetables under running water is only useful for reducing the amount of pesticides. A Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station study found that when products were washed under running water, nine pesticides (of the twelve tested) reported reduced pesticide residue content. But by examining the 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes, it was found that scrubbing the fruit helped eliminate pesticides more than running water.

Washing with salt or vinegar.

For a study published in Food Control, the vegetables were soaked in vinegar for 20 minutes and in a solution of salt and water to remove chlorpyrifos, DDT, cypermethrin, and chlorinated pesticides. Both methods have proved successful. The vinegar effectively eliminated the pesticides, but left a residue that affected the flavor of the product. The saline solution has also given the desired results, but it seems that the most effective method is still the bicarbonate solution.

Washing with bicarbonate

The baking soda technique works with apples, but not all fruits and vegetables in general. Raspberries, for example, should not be soaked, but washed with drinking water and should only be washed just before eating, otherwise they will rot. The same goes for mushrooms: wash them with water or scrub them with a damp rag. Then, blot them with a soft cloth before use.

Lemon juice

The prodigious lemon juice contains natural acids that give it antibacterial properties. Thanks also to its essential oils, lemon juice helps cleanse foods and make them safer for consumption. It happens that fruit or vegetables acquire the acid note of lemon, but in general the lemon disinfects them without altering their flavor. In a bowl of water, add the juice of several lemons and soak the fruit and vegetables for 10 minutes. Rinse with water and eat them.

Article Sources: NHS, FDA

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