In developed civilized countries, the goods offered by modern grocery stores are usually classified not only by their energy value, price and manufacturer, but also by how they were received. Unlike in European countries, where the buyer is provided with clear information of this kind, it is rather difficult to determine the environmental cleanliness of products in Russia.
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Vegetables and fruits that are on store shelves in many European countries are divided into products created using genetic engineering, grown using fertilizers or produced using chemical ingredients, as well as environmentally friendly products. Obtaining quality products from the latter group is a more complex process due to poor environmental ecology.
The cultivation and production of environmentally friendly products is strictly controlled by special services, but they are recognized as such on the basis of an agreement that was signed in 1991 in Europe. This document describes the standards for growing organic agricultural products.
Organic food is considered to be such only if they are used in the cultivation of appropriate fertilizers that do not contain harmful chemicals. In addition, such products have safe packaging, and their manufacture uses technologies that do not violate the environmental qualities of the final product.
To determine the environmental cleanliness of products, just look at their packaging. Products placed in plastic containers and plastic bags are immediately excluded from this list. Pure products are most often sold in glass or metal containers.
However, there are frequent cases when unscrupulous manufacturers give out genetically modified or nitrate-containing products under the guise of environmentally friendly ones. The price for them is higher, as well as for goods that do not contain fertilizers and are natural in origin. As a result, the buyer acquires them with absolute certainty that nothing threatens his health.
Unfortunately, no individual use devices have yet been created to identify GMO products. But you can protect yourself from the purchase of vegetables and fruits containing high amounts of nitrates. For these purposes, you can purchase a special electronic device - nitratomer. It is small in size, fits easily in your pocket, and you can take it with you to the market or to the store. The device measures the dose of nitrates and compares the data with the norms of their maximum permissible concentration (MPC). If the instrument readings are outside the MPC, it is better to refuse to purchase such products.
When buying vegetables and fruits, you should not chase fruits with a perfect shape and the absence of traces of garden pests on them. On the contrary, it is not the most ideal presentation that suggests that the fruits are most likely not genetically modified; a minimum amount of chemical was used to grow them. fertilizers. The presence of wormholes also testifies to the environmental friendliness of the products offered.
Do not try to buy early vegetables, berries and fruits, as large doses of various chemicals are often used to ripen them quickly. This is especially true for early watermelons - as a rule, they contain an increased amount of nitrates, often causing food poisoning.
Unfortunately, modern realities are such that it is very difficult to buy only environmentally friendly and safe products. The thing is that their range is not so large as to fully ensure the human diet, in addition, their production volumes are also limited. The widespread belief that products from the market are better and safer than products from supermarkets has long been irrelevant. The main part of agricultural products sold in the markets is supplied by the same producers as those sold in large retail chains, while prices for it can be noticeably higher. In this case, it would be more correct to choose several manufacturers whose products you are sure of, and try to buy their products. Many companies describe in detail the production process on their sites, which helps to make an informed choice.