Can cooking destroy pesticide residues?

Asked by: Rachel Ormsby, Preston

Most pesticides are complex organic molecules and these tend not to be very heat stable. But reliably breaking down all pesticide molecules would likely require prolonged exposure to temperatures well over 100ºC, so you can’t rely on ordinary cooking to remove all traces.

Peeling or washing fruit and vegetables does more to reduce pesticide levels than cooking, but the only way to be entirely sure is to stick to organic produce.

Read more:

• Are organic vegetables healthier than GM vegetables?
• Why do children dislike vegetables?

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