Experts explain why you have to peel cucumbers and apples

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Before you tuck into your next apple or cucumber, this study may prompt you to peel your produce first. Researchers have sounded the alarm for consumers to peel their cucumbers and apples, arguing that a simple rinse won't rid them of harmful pesticides.

Using advanced techniques like laser analysis and a specialized 'SERS' film, scientists from Anhui Agricultural University in China found that pesticides linger on produce skins.

Not only was this tested on cucumbers and apples, but chilli powder, shrimp and rice too. Worryingly, they uncovered that relying on fruit washing or food safety procedures won't stop you from consuming pesticides. "This study, situated within the expansive realm of food safety, endeavors to furnish health guidance to consumers," Professor Dongdong Ye, an author of the paper, told The Guardian. "Rather than fostering undue apprehension, the research posits that peeling can effectively eliminate nearly all pesticide residues, contrasted with the frequently recommended practice of washing." Within this study, scientists reportedly sprayed the tested food with fungicides thiram and carbendazim.

It should be noted that while the UK banned carbendazim in 2017 and the EU prohibited thiram in 2018, these substances are still in use elsewhere in the world.