My first post on the Food Technology Series was a good reach. Now coming to the very serious issue on the raise "Cancer". Lots of awareness, seminars conducted on the same. Are we still clear about what it actually is one of the root cause of cancer?
Pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers are all friend to human if and only if used within the permissible limit. If they are exceeded in levels to reap profits, the consuming person is at a very high risk.
2 real life conversations had with 2 of the farmers are as follows:
1. My colleague's (Mr. R) father is a farmer. He brings kambhu koozh (Perat milk cooked and mixed with buttermilk) all day. When we were at lunch one of our friend bought some chilly gobi. Mr R strictly did not touch it. I was like "What!!!" he said: Hey you do not know how much chemicals and pesticides goes into that. The cauliflower had to be treated with loads of chemicals to thrive the worms". I am no way eating it. Nor do we use this vegetable at home."
- BUT We relish, our kids relish crispy chilly gobi at hotels, chaat shops, school canteens. Atleast at home we blanch it. What about shops?
Lesson Learnt: Do not consume cauliflower, it is paying and eating pesticides. Even when we blanch it, we are not sure about how safe are they.
2. School mate farm: Met the farmer to take some good photographs of the farm and the livestock. They were happy to see us clicking pics of all of them. They happily packed some veggies and fruits some GLV for us.
Some vegetables were getting loaded to the truck. Thats when the classmates uncle was asking about the vegetables rate and calculating profits. The farmer said that pesticides are costlier and that he has to use more of them. And to show proof he showed a shiny perfect purple eggplant and a tiny dull egg plant and said " See these tiny ones these are grown separately for home use without any pesticides and he showed the beautiful one and said to the market this has to go where pesticide are used. Else the market price will be low for the yield".
When he said that I asked him what all veggies he grows for him? He showed a small piece of land where veggies are mixed cropped and used for his domestic use.
This is the case of all vegetables. And fruits undergo horrible artificial ripening that if your eat the fruit blind you have to open your eyes to see what fruit it is. Cos no fruit has its natural pleasant taste and smell. The wax coatings, fumigations, sprays do their rest.
Precaution-Remedy:
Wash the fruits or veggies well 5 times atleast.
Soak them in warm salted water for 4 hours or over night.
Rinse again and use.
Peel the top layer of all veggies and fruits to be on the safer side.
Avoid eating from street side shops where washing and hygeine is a question.
Hotels are no exceptions- better to be safe than sorry.
High risk in cleaning of:
1.Bitter gourd
2.Green Leafy Vegetables
3.Grapes
Try setting up a kitchen garden if space is available. A mixture of garlic and neem can be a good natural pesticide for all fruits and veggies in the kitchen garden.
Consult Agri Experts for safe and proper usage of seeds and set up a healthy way to save ourselves and our future generations.
Lets take an oath to cook and eat home food and have a happy dinner with family. Lets stay away from cancer.