Root vegetables are by nature pretty durable, although it’s common knowledge that organic varieties tend to go off quicker than ones grown with pesticides.
"However, now it emerges that cleaning all the dirt off root vegetables before they hit the supermarket shelves can render them more prone to decay as well." According to research led by Aarhus University.
"Removing the dirt scratches the vegetables’ skin, enabling the bacteria and fungus in the soil to penetrate the skin."
Another two weeks of life
Kvalirod, a new research project, is aiming to improve the washing process, and so far it looks like employing hot water and spices can increase the vegetables’ resistance.
If successful, Kvalirod hopes to increase the shelf life of the veg by 14 days and reduce food waste by 5 percent at stores and 30 percent in the homes of consumers.
"It is hoped a breakthrough will increase the number of countries Denmark can export its root vegetables to."
Source: cphpost.dk
