Taiwanese toxicologist suggests washing banana peels

台灣毒物學家建議洗香蕉皮

Mildly dangerous chemicals easy to rinse off


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — After a batch of Taiwanese bananas was turned away by a Japanese company on Wednesday (March 10) due to excessive quantities of the fungicide Pyraclostrobin, a toxicologist has suggested people wash bananas and oranges before eating them.

Yen Tsung-hai (顏宗海), director of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Department of Clinical Toxicology, told reporters Saturday that Pyraclostrobin is a fungicide with low toxicity that will not cause cancer, CNA reported.

However, according to Taiwanese regulations, the allowed amount of Pyraclostrobin for bananas is 0.02 parts per million (ppm), while the level of the fungicide on the rejected banana batch was 0.12ppm, or six times the legal limit.

The toxicologist said that even though Pyraclostrobin is not highly toxic, too much of it can still cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and dyspepsia.

Noting that most agricultural chemicals on bananas are concentrated on the peel, Yen said the toxins often remain on a person’s hands.

Therefore, he suggested washing fruit peels.