Banana is one of the most common tropical and subtropical fruits in life. It is nutritious, delicious and affordable, and it is often eaten by many people. Banana tastes soft and waxy, suitable for all ages, and is rich in sugar, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. Eating bananas often can moisten the intestines and relax the bowels, and it is also beneficial to the health of patients with hypertension. And the study found that bananas contain substances that can make people "happy" and can relieve depression.
However, a rumor on the Internet makes people who love bananas very entangled. Can this banana still be eaten?
It originated from the news that farmers soaked garlic shoots and bananas in white liquid on the Internet in May last year, which aroused widespread concern among consumers. This year is also May, and see similar news.
Everyone is particularly concerned about what this banana-soaking liquid is? Can the soaked bananas be eaten? Is it harmful to health?
Some netizens speculated that it was formaldehyde solution, but it wasn’t. Agricultural experts explained this. The white liquid is a preservative, so consumers don’t have to worry.
Bananas grow "too anxious"
Banana belongs to respiratory climacteric fruit, which will suddenly release a lot of ethylene at maturity, and the respiration rate of the fruit will be greatly improved and mature rapidly. But then it quickly aged and was attacked by fungi.
Therefore, fruits like bananas cannot be picked, transported and sold after they are ripe. Because once the "ripening switch" is turned on, the banana will be unstoppable when it ripens, and it will be broken before it reaches its destination. For this reason, bananas have to be picked from trees before they are fully ripe, so that they can withstand long-distance transportation and long-term storage, and then artificially apply ethephon to ripen them before they are sold.
Why do you want to soak a good banana?
Picked bananas are prone to anthracnose or shaft rot-the name may sound strange, but most people have encountered it. Anthracnose shows that bananas grow dark brown black spots, and then quickly expand and merge, and within a few days the whole banana will turn black and rot.
Axle rot is commonly known as "white mold". At first, white mold appeared at the incision of banana comb and rotted, which continued to develop to the fruit stalk and was dark brown, causing the banana to fall off. Later, the whole banana became ill, and the peel cracked and the flesh degenerated. Therefore, it is necessary to sterilize and preserve the picked bananas to prevent mildew.
What you don’t know about banana "preservative"
At present, prochloraz and iprodione are the main fungicides used for banana sterilization and preservation, all of which are efficient, broad-spectrum and low-toxic. Prochloraz is often used to control anthracnose, leaf spot, rice bakanae disease and rice blast of fruits and vegetables, and iprodione is also often used to control early defoliation, gray mold and early blight of fruit trees, vegetables and fruits. Bananas treated with fungicides, combined with modified atmosphere fresh-keeping bags and low temperature, can play a good anti-corrosion and fresh-keeping effect.
In addition to fungicides, it is also possible to treat bananas with plant growth regulators to inhibit their ripening process.
Is banana preservative safe?
Prochloraz and iprodione are both low-toxic pesticides allowed in China, and the national food safety standard Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides in Food (GB2763-2014) clearly stipulates the residue limits of various pesticides, such as:
The maximum residue limits of prochloraz and iprodione in bananas are 5mg/kg and 10mg/kg respectively.
Plant growth regulators, also known as phytohormones, are used to artificially regulate the growth and development process of plants, with low toxicity, small dosage and self-limitation. If they are used too much, they will not get good results.
Rational use of pesticides such as fungicides and plant growth regulators in accordance with state regulations will not cause harm to health. Therefore, the banana is still the banana, so just eat it boldly!
The author introduces:Ma Guansheng, Ph.D., Professor of Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, Peking University College of Public Health, doctoral tutor, chief science communication expert of China Association for Science and Technology, has been engaged in nutrition and health research for 27 years. At present, he is a member of the National Food and Nutrition Advisory Committee, an expert on women and children’s issues in the the State Council Women and Children Working Committee, a member of the National Expert Committee on Nutrition Improvement Plan for Rural Compulsory Education Students, the leader of the expert group on the pilot project of children’s nutrition improvement in poverty-stricken areas, and the vice chairman of the China Nutrition Society. In 2013, he was awarded the "Person of the Year in Science Communication" by the first Science Communicator Awards Ceremony in 2012, the "Top Ten Person of the Year in Healthy China in 2012" by People’s Daily Health Times, and the first prize of the individual nutrition science popularization work of China Nutrition Society from 2008 to 2010.
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