Why Should You Wash Fruit and Vegetables?

Washing fresh produce before you eat it is one of those habits most of us have heard of, but few of us think about closely. Here's what can be on your fruit and vegetables, what washing actually does, and how to wash fresh produce properly.

Why should you wash fruit and vegetables?

Fruit and vegetables travel a long way before they reach your kitchen. Along the way, they can come into contact with soil, dust, harvesting and packing equipment, transport, supermarket displays and plenty of hands.

Washing is a simple step that helps remove some of what can collect on the surface before you eat or prepare your produce.

What can be on the surface of fresh produce?

Depending on the produce and how it has been grown, handled and stored, the surface may have:

• Soil and dust from growing, harvesting and transport
• Agricultural chemical residues where pesticides or fungicides have been used during production
• Natural or applied waxes, including the plant's own protective coating and food grade waxes applied to some produce to help maintain quality
• Microorganisms transferred from soil, water, handling or other produce
• Everyday residues from handling during the journey from farm to your kitchen

None of this means fresh produce should be considered unsafe. These things are simply part of the journey fresh produce can take before it reaches us, and one of the reasons washing before eating makes sense.

What does washing actually do?

Washing helps loosen and remove dirt, dust and other material from the surface of fresh produce.

Giving firmer produce such as apples, potatoes or capsicums a gentle rub while washing can help loosen surface dirt and debris. Leafy greens and herbs may benefit from being gently agitated in water to help release material caught between leaves and textured surfaces.

Washing is a cleaning step. It isn't the same as sanitising or sterilising, and it shouldn't be thought of as making fresh produce sterile.

What can't washing do?

Washing doesn't necessarily remove everything from fresh produce. How easily something is removed depends on the produce, its surface and what is actually present.

This is particularly relevant to pesticide residues. Some may be present on or near the surface, while others can penetrate or be absorbed into the produce itself.

We've looked at this in more detail in Can Washing Remove All Pesticide Residues From Fruit and Vegetables?, including why some residues may be beyond the reach of surface washing.

It's better to think of washing as a practical cleaning step rather than something that guarantees the removal of every substance.

Practical guidance for washing produce at home

1. 01Wash before eating or preparing. If you prefer to wash produce before storing it, make sure it is thoroughly dry before putting it in the fridge.
2. 02Give firmer produce a gentle rub. Apples, potatoes, capsicums and cucumbers can be rubbed during washing to help loosen surface dirt and debris.
3. 03Agitate leafy greens and herbs in water to help loosen dirt and debris from their textured surfaces.
4. 04Use a soft produce brush where appropriate, particularly for tougher skinned produce such as root vegetables and melons.
5. 05Rinse thoroughly with fresh running water after washing.
6. 06Dry thoroughly, particularly if you're storing produce afterwards. A clean towel or salad spinner works well.
7. 07Don't use household soap or detergent. These products aren't designed for washing food.

Is plain water enough?

Australian food safety guidance recommends washing fresh fruit and vegetables under running water before eating. But water doesn't necessarily remove everything from the surface.

Many fruits and vegetables have naturally waxy surfaces. Water has a high surface tension, which is why you'll often see it bead on some produce rather than spread evenly across the surface.

This is part of what led us to think differently about washing fresh produce.

Where does Plantaera fit in?

Plantaera was formulated specifically as a fruit and vegetable wash.

It uses a concentrated, lipid based formula made with food grade, plant derived lipids and designed with the surfaces of fruit and vegetables in mind.

Plantaera is a concentrated fruit and vegetable wash designed to help lift everyday dirt, oils, waxes and common pesticide residues from the surface of fresh produce.

When mixed with water, the formula is designed to help water interact more effectively with the surface of the produce.

Because there is no added water in the bottle, Plantaera is formulated without added preservatives.

Simply add one pump to a litre of water when you're ready to wash. Wash your produce, rinse thoroughly with fresh water and dry as usual.

It's a simple extra step, designed specifically for washing fruit and vegetables.

The bottom line

Washing fruit and vegetables is a simple part of preparing fresh produce.

It helps clean the surface before eating or preparing it, whether that's removing soil from a potato, dust from an apple or other everyday surface residues picked up along the way.

It doesn't need to promise to remove everything to be worthwhile. It's simply one small step between bringing fresh produce home and enjoying it.