FNB News - Arka Herbi Wash removes 80-100% residue of pesticide on veggies, fruits

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AGRICULTURE

Arka Herbi Wash removes 80-100% residue of pesticide on veggies, fruits

Friday, 10 July, 2020, 08 : 00 AM [IST]

Nandita Vijay, Bengaluru

The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) under ICAR, has developed a technology called Arka Herbi Wash for vegetables, which is simple and highly useful for the consumers. The product for which a patent is pending is positioned to offset concern of pesticide residual on fresh agri produce.

“We conducted a research spanning 6 to 8 years. This product has little to do with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. We want to test and solve the problems of pesticides for which people have lot of apprehensions. Now this is for vegetables and fruits in the market,” stated Dr M R Dinesh, Director, ICAR-IIHR, Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, while speaking to FnB News.

“Plans of commercialisation are on. We will be giving the technology for entrepreneurs who will approach us for the same. This is on a non-exclusive basis. Now this is not a high-end technology. The entrepreneurs will be incubated either on site or off site,” he added.

Further we have applied for a patent for the product. The patent number is expected within 10 days. The product will be ready for sale at IIHR Agriculture Technology Information Centre for purchase which is at Rs 12 for a 10 gram packet. Only 2 gram is necessary for one wash. The 10 gram packet can be used for five washes, according to Dr Dinesh.

“The herbal formulation is a simple and completely safe herbal product to be used to wash fruits and vegetables to remove surface residues of pesticides to an extent of 30% or more, than that is possible by running water wash. It was found to be more efficient in washing off surface residues of pesticides from fruits and vegetables from among six plant based powders/gels and their mixtures tested,” said Dr Debi Sharma, Principal Scientist and in-charge, Food Safety Referral Laboratory (FSRL), ICAR- IIHR, Hesaraghatta.

This herbal mixture can remove 80-100% of surface residue of pesticide from all fruits and vegetables depending upon the nature of pesticides. All this also depends which pesticide is used and on what crop. Washing veg and fruits with water removes the residue to some extent. Moreover, this product has been invented by using powdered plant parts. Here no synthetic chemicals or adjuvant. We researched on a number of chemical groups of pesticides to arrive at this final product, she added.
In the current scenario, the pesticide residue on fruits and vegetables is a health hazard for the consumers. Washing the fruits and vegetables with water does remove some of the residues present on the surface but not to a great extent. We can mix 2 gram of Arka Herbi Wash powder in one litre of water and stir well. The fruits and vegetables need to be gently scrubbed for 15 seconds before it is washed again in plain water. “The commercialisation of the product will start within three weeks,” informed Dr Sharma, while speaking to FnB News.

According to Dr B Narayanaswamy, Principal Scientist and Media Nodal Officer, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, such consumer- friendly products by our researchers are affordable and hassle-free to use. Going by the technology developments at the IIHR so far, consumers can confidently opt for such efficient and eco-friendly products.