Economical rice

[x9200]

I agree with your last post.
Even if washing does not remove many toxins, this is no excuse NOT to wash vegetables before use!
In the article linked above, vegetables are "washed" in boiling water, which certainly removes more unwanted stuff than cold water. It is therefore to be recommended, rather than criticized (as the article does). This was my main point!

I read "oil". If this is hot water then fully agreed.

[the lynx]

To be honest, I wouldn't be too worried if they boil the veggies in hot water right away and then remove to stir-fry/cook. Sure, the goo that's stuck on them may not be able to be removed physically but hey, I'd rather the former than having the veggies "briefly rinsed" under running water before it is chucked into wok.

And since we talked about pesticides, both oil-based and water-based pesticides are still common and oil-based pesticides are much more used in source countries because it is cheaper. The difference between oil-based and water-based pesticide is more on the formulation (water miscible or oil miscible), rather than the perceived solubility of the pesticides' active ingredient in insects/humans.

Currently most pesticides approved by WHO, FDA and other authorities have low half-life and much less persistence in environment, compared to those days in the 60s when we had DDT, dieldrin and other post-WW2 super-pesticides.

There have been much advancement in chemistry and other technology where pesticides have been designed with low persistence but high substrate binding to the surfaces intended, and with minimal soil-leaching. Or that the practice of pesticide usage in agricultural, animal husbandry and public health has been redesigned to focus more on strategic application and other non-chemical methods, known as integrated pest management (which has actually become the buzzword in agricultural industry).

And since we talked about mosquito fogging, the diesel/kerosene used (which gives the smoke effect) are not part of the pesticide. It is added as merely a carrier.

Regardless, wash/peel your veggies and fruits.

[Max Headroom]

Lynx, all that is surely true. But the problem is that these more advanced pesticides cost money. Which is why it's safe to assume that the cruder carpet-bombing type stuff is still being used wholesale in less-regulated countries.

[the lynx]

Like what other posters have mentioned, we can never control the source of our fresh produce (unless you go organic). So the best we can do is to ensure that our food preparation is adequate and that we know what goes behind in the kitchen of our favourite restaurant.

[Fortan]

When I first moved to Singapore I remember buying some fiji apples from China in one of the local markets in Jurong. I put them in my fridge and ate almost all of them in no time but a few months later I found out that I still had one lying at the bottom of the fridge under the veggies. It looked exactly like the day I bought it - NO difference. Remember throwing it out wondering what it had been sprayed with to keep it looking fresh for that long.

[x9200]

When I first moved to Singapore I remember buying some fiji apples from China in one of the local markets in Jurong. I put them in my fridge and ate almost all of them in no time but a few months later I found out that I still had one lying at the bottom of the fridge under the veggies. It looked exactly like the day I bought it - NO difference. Remember throwing it out wondering what it had been sprayed with to keep it looking fresh for that long.

But but but... this may not necessary mean they were pesticided or preserved with something. How our grand-(grand)n-mas stored the food over winter? A cold, darker place with right humidity should do some good job. I am more surprised the apple was not dehydrated.

[Fortan]

When I first moved to Singapore I remember buying some fiji apples from China in one of the local markets in Jurong. I put them in my fridge and ate almost all of them in no time but a few months later I found out that I still had one lying at the bottom of the fridge under the veggies. It looked exactly like the day I bought it - NO difference. Remember throwing it out wondering what it had been sprayed with to keep it looking fresh for that long.

But but but... this may not necessary mean they were pesticided or preserved with something. How our grand-(grand)n-mas stored the food over winter? A cold, darker place with right humidity should do some good job. I am more surprised the apple was not dehydrated.

I am guessing it was coated with something that would not allow it to dehydrate, rot and keep appearance.

[Barnsley]

Meiji milk ..... just finished a bottle , three weeks past the best before date ... as "good" as the day bought... Hopefully I have ingested some of the longevity from the milk.

Even in fridge in UK the mile there is "off" after 3 or 4 days after opening

[Fortan]

Meiji milk ..... just finished a bottle , three weeks past the best before date ... as "good" as the day bought... Hopefully I have ingested some of the longevity from the milk.

Even in fridge in UK the mile there is "off" after 3 or 4 days after opening

Yup that too. 3-4 days in Denmark as well after opening. Sometimes 7-9 days total life before it gets sour - even in an unopened bottle.

[the lynx]

When I first moved to Singapore I remember buying some fiji apples from China in one of the local markets in Jurong. I put them in my fridge and ate almost all of them in no time but a few months later I found out that I still had one lying at the bottom of the fridge under the veggies. It looked exactly like the day I bought it - NO difference. Remember throwing it out wondering what it had been sprayed with to keep it looking fresh for that long.

But but but... this may not necessary mean they were pesticided or preserved with something. How our grand-(grand)n-mas stored the food over winter? A cold, darker place with right humidity should do some good job. I am more surprised the apple was not dehydrated.

I am guessing it was coated with something that would not allow it to dehydrate, rot and keep appearance.

Apples (and some veggies) naturally produce wax (with yeast) to protect it from being dehydrated. But after harvest and washing and packing, that natural waxy layer is gone so orchards and packers use commercial food grade wax to cover the apple to keep it fresh. That's why you can keep apples for days or weeks without having to use fridge, as long as you don't wash off the wax layer or peel it before that.

The commercial wax used are supposed to be approved by FDA but I'm not sure about the ones from China.

Still, I will wash and scrape my knife all over the apples before I eat. Or peel off the skin.

[Strong Eagle]

Ya know... if you've traveled into the really deep parts of Asia, you will have eaten who knows what. I've eaten rat, I've eaten unidentifiable dishes, I've eaten in dirt floor hovels with seriously questionable hygiene practices simply because there was nothing else to eat.

I'm not saying I prefer these venues over more traditional fare, only that it is really much ado about nothing to complain about a hawker center.

If you get sick, that's one thing... otherwise it is all about sensibilities.

[rajagainstthemachine]

I performed an experiment on white vs red onions, white onions from Fair Price vs red onions bought in Tekka market ( sourced from India/Malaysia)
red onions couldn't last 3 weeks at max, the white onions have lasted more than 3 months.
I saw the same thing with apples, the never seemed to wrinkle or rot. Uneasy feeling ah?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Ya know... if you've traveled into the really deep parts of Asia, you will have eaten who knows what. I've eaten rat, I've eaten unidentifiable dishes, I've eaten in dirt floor hovels with seriously questionable hygiene practices simply because there was nothing else to eat.

I'm not saying I prefer these venues over more traditional fare, only that it is really much ado about nothing to complain about a hawker center.

If you get sick, that's one thing... otherwise it is all about sensibilities.

^^This. 100%

[Max Headroom]

Ditto ^^

[Hannieroo]

I prefer to buy organic because of the chemicals but you can get germs on the handle of the bathroom door at the fanciest place in town. A healthy adult has no real cause for concern.