Is the purple eggplant "green" after soaking in water caused by pesticide additives?

This article is original . Original author: @ Guangping dietitian

Deputy Director of the Food Safety Publicity and Education Center of the National Health Work Commission   Former food safety public opinion director of Internet enterprises

The Liaoshen Evening News reported that the purple eggplant bought by Shenyang citizens in the supermarket faded after soaking in water. Is it edible? The reporter went to two large supermarkets in Shenhe and Heping, and a fruit and vegetable store outside the community, respectively, to test fresh water and washing products for new and long stored purple eggplants in the stores. Through the experiment, it was found that the purple eggplant stored for a long time appeared some discoloration after being soaked in warm water and washing products for half an hour. Can I eat faded eggplant? The reporter consulted a teacher who graduated from Shenyang Agricultural University and is currently engaged in the work of pharmaceutical technician of agricultural products. The teacher said that the dyeing of eggplant is not common at present. If the eggplant is discolored by hand rubbing or washing with water, it may be that pesticides or additives were added during planting, so it must be washed more times.

Eggplant discoloration is rare. It is normal even if it fades slightly when washing eggplant, because eggplant itself contains anthocyanins, which are soluble in water. It is possible to fade when washing eggplant. Whether the eggplant is discolored is also related to the eggplant variety, planting environment, temperature and climate. Purple eggplant discoloration is very rare.

Why does purple eggplant bubble green?

The Shenyang citizen used the eggplant he bought to make his own blister, which was made with detergent and water. The reporter also used the eggplant soaked in alkaline solution in warm water during verification. It is possible that the eggplant fades slightly or the water turns slightly green in the above two methods, which should be due to the anthocyanins of the purple eggplant itself.

Anthocyanins are a kind of natural pigments widely existing in plants. Purple grapes, purple potatoes, mulberry, purple cabbage, purple potatoes and other food materials are rich in anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are soluble in water and are a chameleon. They change color in acidic and alkaline environments. They are red in acid and blue in alkaline environments. There may be transitional colors such as purple and green in the middle. So it is not difficult to explain why purple cabbage turns green, blue, and purple eggplant turns green in alkaline solution.

Don't underestimate anthocyanins

Anthocyanin is an antioxidant, which can protect the human body from free radical damage. And its antioxidant capacity is better than vitamin E Vitamin C All high. Data shows that it can improve vision, enhance immunity, inhibit inflammation and allergy, and so on. Common ingredients rich in anthocyanins include black beans, black rice, black sesame, blueberries, mulberries, purple potatoes and other ingredients. The pictures in this article are from the Internet. If copyright and other issues are involved, please contact the original author of this microblog, and it will be handled in a timely manner.