Clean
fruit and Veg
= healthy
fruit and veg
enviroCare Earth Fruit +
Veg Wash. A safe way to
remove dirt, grime & other
contaminants from your
fruit & veg.
We are now more than ever eating
our fruit & vegetables raw, fresh-cut or
minimally processed so our awareness of
what may actually be on our fresh produce is
something that we think more about.
Washing fruit & vegetables is one of the
most important processing steps at the
industrial level. Washing is designed to
remove dirt, dust & some pesticides, and to
detach bugs. But our produce is handled by
more people after the industrial level. Even
organically grown produce is not immune
from contamination by fertilisers, humans or
waxes. It might seem like an unnecessary
precaution, but washing fruits and veggies
before eating could protect you from harmful
bacteria and pesticide residue.
It’s not only the contaminants that hang
around after it has been picked from the tree
or the ground, but all the people that handle
our fruit & veg before we even get to handle
it! Just getting it onto the shelf in the green
grocery part of our favourite store means
that someone has handled the produce
many times, then the checkout people who
can often have colds. Yikes!
Fruits and some vegetables are often
consumed raw, fresh-cut or minimally
processed, which is often why there
are concerns about their safety. Fresh
fruits and vegetables and unpasteurised
juices can harbour disease-causing bugs
(knows as pathogens) such as Salmonella,
Campylobacter, Listeria and Shiga-toxin-
producing E. coli (strains of E.coli). They can
also contain pesticide residues and toxic
compounds produced by moulds on the
surface or even inside tissues of these foods.
Fresh fruits and vegetables may also
contain allergens, which may be naturally
occurring or contaminated, that can cause
severe discomfort to people suffering
12 Complete Health
from an intolerance. Of the potential risks,
contamination with tiny bugs or organisms
called microbes is the most prevalent.
The ingestion of very small numbers
of dangerous bugs may not be harmful as
our immune system can fight them off. But
problems begin when the body’s defences
fail, causing these “bad bugs” to multiply
and spread throughout the body.
In recent years, fruits and vegetables
such as sprouts, celery and rockmelons
were identified as potential sources of food-
borne pathogens. They are more susceptible
to being contaminated. This has caused a
number of health and social issues and major
economic losses worldwide.
Last year there was an outbreak of
listeriosis in the US, a disease caused
by the ingestion of bacterium Listeria
monocytogenes, linked to commercially
produced, prepacked whole caramel apples.
Thirty-five people from 12 states were
infected with the disease, and three people
died.
Several years ago Germany experienced
the largest epidemic of hemolytic–uremic
syndrome (a disease characterized by
anemia, acute kidney failure and low platelet
counts), caused by Shiga-toxin–producing
E.coli associated with fresh produce such
as fenugreek sprouts. Over a period of
about three months nearly 4000 fell ill with
symptoms such as headache and diarrhoea,
and a further 800 contracted hemolytic–
uremic syndrome. Authorities reported 53
deaths.
In the US cantaloupes (rock melons)
become contaminated with the bacterium
Listeria monocytogenes. One-hundred and
forty-six people in 28 states were sick and
30 died.
While Australia is considered one of
the safest food suppliers in the world, a
significant number of foodborne illnesses are
still reported every year.
enviroCare Earth’s Fruit & Veg Wash is
plant based, the fragrance free surfactant
helps emulsify & disperse waxes &
emollients, (which are not water based)
that coat fruit & veg. So just using water
won’t cut it. You need something that has an
action that will help get rid of the build-up
of human contact too, hence the detergent
aspect of washes.
500ml enviroCare Earth Fruit & Veg will
last for over 200 washes and a 200ml is
sufficient for up to 80 washes. So our Fruit
& Veg Wash is highly economical as well as
efficient.
To wash: In a sink of cold water add
2-3 drops of Fruit & Veg Wash, add the
vegetables or fruit and push up and down
in the water. If you are washing berries or
lettuce or other loose leaf or small fruit or
veggies use a colander to put them in and
then dunk up and down. Do not soak. Drain
the items and then pat dry with a tea towel
or paper towel and then store in brown
paper bag or paper towel.
Tips to make sure you get the best out of
your produce:
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After they have been washed, pat dry,
wrap or store in brown paper bag or
paper towel
Store produce according to its
requirements in your fridge or cupboard
Never buy produce that looks spoiled,
however be aware that contamination
may look, taste & smell like produce
that is safe to eat
Wash all produce that can be washed
Buy fresh produce less often & smaller
quantities so you waste less, we throw
out more fruit & vegetables than we
should ever do
Coming soon to enviroCare Earth is their
new 500ml Fruit & Veg SPRAY with Organic
Sanitising agent.
enviroCare Earth is committed to
manufacturing products that not only make
your life easier and healthier but compliment
the environment rather than compromise it!