White powder on the plum skin, is it sugar? Or is it pesticide?

◇ Material that protects the peel... safe to eat

The white powder on the plum skin is 'fruit powder'.

Overripe fruit is a substance that protects the peel (fruit skin), and eating it poses no health problems.

It can also be easily seen on the skins of various fruits such as grapes and blueberries, in addition to plums.

According to the Rural Development Administration, as the fruit undergoes hypertrophic growth, it protects the epidermal cells by

Develop a wax layer that acts as a kind of protective barrier.

Afterwards, a white powder called excess forms on the upper part of the wax layer. The wax layer and excess are called the cuticle layer.

The cuticle layer is composed of ingredients such as alcohols, esters, fatty acids, and hydrocarbons.

In particular, when excess sugar is well produced, it is known that most of them have high sweetness and attractive appearance, making their market value also high.

Residual pesticides have a stained appearance.

If you're confused between the excess residue and pesticide residue appearing on the skin

Let's carefully check if there are any stains on the exterior.

The excess is evenly spread out like sugar powder sprinkled on the epidermis.

If pesticides remain,

There are stains that look like water droplets have dried on the shell or as if water droplets have flowed down.

However, the stains on the skin cannot necessarily be considered as residue of pesticides.

This is because the same type of stain can also occur when nutrients are sprayed or when rain leaves water droplet marks on the skin.

According to experts, since the domestically distributed fruits have established pesticide residue limits, the likelihood of pesticide residues remaining is low.

◇ It's good to wash and eat after soaking in water.

Plums are fruits that should be washed thoroughly before eating because they are eaten with the skin on.

Just dip the plum in cold water, then gently rinse it under running water.

Rubbing with excessive force can cause plums to turn into radishes.

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How to wash tip plums

Mixing vinegar and water in a 1:10 ratio and rinsing with it is also a good method.

Although sparse, it can effectively remove residual pesticides remaining on the skin.

Plums can be stored at room temperature for 4 to 5 days.

However, if you want to store it for a long time, put it in a plastic bag and keep it in the refrigerator.

However, since the storage period is short, it is advised not to keep it for too long.

[Source: Health Chosun]