You Can't Even Eat An Orange Anymore

You would think that Oranges were one of the safest fruits to eat. After all, they have a protective layer, the peel, protecting them. Well it turns out now, that even Oranges are not safe anymore. They are sprayed with potentially dangerous pesticides. I first discovered this when reading the label on a bag of Oranges being sold at an Aldi Superstore in the UK.

The Oranges in question were imported from Africa and the label stated that they were sprayed with thiabendazole and imazalil. I thought this seemed odd because I have never seen a heads up message like this on a bag of Oranges before. So when I got home I decided to do some quick research.

My findings: These pesticides are more than likely toxic to humans. So now you can't even eat an Orange anymore without being paranoid that its actually doing you more harm than good.

Oh simple things, where have you gone..

Most people would probably say: The pesticides are on the outer layer, the peel, so they're not going to do any harm unless you're someone who eats the peel. That is true to some extent, but tests have indicated that some of the imazalil does get through to the pulp of the Orange and is being ingested. 

It may only be a small amount, but imazalil is harmful to humans, and no amount of this pesticide being consumed is acceptable. Especially unknowingly when eating something perceived as healthy. I mean, how many people actually read that small, deemed irrelevant label on a bag of Oranges. I only happened to read it by chance.

Even more concerning is the fact that it is also very hard to actually get rid of. More tests were done where different methods of washing the Oranges were performed to see if any of them would be 100% effective at removing all traces of the pesticides. The results concluded that none of the washing methods, which included washing with soap, hot water, and even an Ultrasonic bath, were successful in removing both pesticides completely. 

In fact, the more hazardous of the two pesticides (imazalil) was the one that was the most persistent and could not be fully removed with any of the washing methods used in the test. Read the PDF test paper.

Now, I don't know if or how dangerous thiabendazole and imazalil are to humans when handled, but just thinking about how many times I myself have handled oranges, not washed my hands afterwards, and then sat down to eat or picked some plaque from a tooth is quite concerning. 

Is Organic any better? Does every big superstore buy from fruit suppliers that use toxic chemicals on their produce. Are any exempt? If so, comment below. These days it seems like nothing is safe anymore. Profit, and a disregard for human health has taken over almost everything. As small as this issue might be in the grand scheme of things, it's just another thing to be aware of. The tightrope is getting thinner - Interwire.