What’s the deal with fear mongering around safe and healthy foods? On Instagram @AndreaHardyRD, I talk all about nutrition misinformation, like baby carrots being ‘unsafe’ due to dilute bleach washing.
❌????My BFF called me panicked because she had been baby-carrot shamed…????❌
Luckily – she had me, because #facts, people!????????????
Baby carrots are indeed washed with a very diluted bleach solution to clean and remove bad bacteria. In Canada, many types of vegetables that are pre-prepared are washed in a diluted bleach solution to keep.you.safe.
And then, as per the regulations, are required ‘to remove any excess wash water’ – which often means they’re rinsed again. Any residual amount of chlorine is comparable to tap water.
Of course, we consume far less ‘tap water’ by way of baby carrots than drinking a glass of water, or making a soup.
As with any chemical, the dose makes the poison. (Even water can be toxic if you have to much of it – I wish I could say I was not speaking from personal experience, but that’s another story!)
The word bleach can be scary. I get it. So let me break it down for you.
Chlorine bleach is made of sodium hypochlorite (NAOCl). We consume chlorine in many forms in our diet, most commonly as chloride in things like table salt (NaCl).
Sodium hypochlorite is used to treat drinking water for harmful bacteria, algae, and fungi commonly found in untreated water. Meaning – it keeps you and your family safe. The amount used is highly regulated and safe.
I personally don’t LOVE the taste of chlorine in my drinking water (especially during run off season, Calgary’s water tastes extra chlorine-y to me), so… I filter it! Though when I cook, I use straight tap water.
Bottom line: the amount of chlorine we consume in water is safe. Even safer? Baby carrots. You get WAY more chloride from water than you ever will from baby carrots. So if you like them for convenience sake – enjoy them!
And if someone food shames you…. send them my way.????
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