How wonderful to be able to sip a good mojito with friends, perhaps at the beach, but beware of the lime! You may have never thought about how many pesticides settle on its peel, making it inedible!
Citrus fruits, fruits, and vegetables are now cause for in-depth investigations by the relevant authorities precisely because, all too often, they are found to be contaminated. After the loquat “scandal,” the strawberry “scandal,” concerns are rising, and in the case of lime, the reasons are many. Why? Let’s find out together!
Beware of the lime in your mojito: it may have an inedible peel due to pesticides.
Lime is an exotic fruit, often coming from distant countries. On the way to our shelves, it is often treated with toxic substances, to ensure that it keeps well, but at the expense of our health. Not only that, the countries where it is grown do not have the same strict regulations that we benefit from in our latitudes.
For this reason, it is possible for citrus fruits to be sprayed with herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides in much higher amounts than we are allowed, while still within the limits of local law. Hence, one can easily deduce why the peel may not be edible.
And one cannot know this in advance! In general, the most potentially toxic fruits come from Chile, Peru, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain, as reported by Green Me, a well-known multimedia magazine defending our health and the planets.
Perhaps only by becoming frequent visitors to a particular locale could we “dare” to investigate the origin of the lime in our mojito. In all other cases, it becomes risky to consume our favorite cocktail. That’s right because any toxic molecules on the rind are easily transferred into the long drink.
Organically grown, untreated limes, unfortunately, are much more expensive than the others, and it is game for a restaurateur to prefer the cheap ones.
For a safe mojito, the advice is to prepare it at home, choosing the ingredients carefully and preferring those from Sicily and Calabria, with the edible peel label.
What are you waiting for then? Start shaking!
