Produce safety remains a year-round issue in the U.S., where fruits and vegetables are commonly eaten raw at home. The specific takeaway for shoppers is simple: baking soda mixed with water is the one household ingredient most often cited for removing more pesticide residue than water alone. That matters in kitchens from California to New York, where apples, berries, spinach, and peppers are regular staples.
Baking soda is the specific wash most often identified
Baking soda is the specific ingredient most often identified as the best at-home option for reducing certain pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables. In a 2017 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, researchers found a baking soda and water solution removed more of two tested pesticides from apples than either plain water or a bleach solution approved for produce.
The tested apples in that 2017 research were exposed to thiabendazole and phosmet, and the baking soda soak outperformed the other washing methods over a measured period. The study focused on apples, not every fruit or vegetable sold in the U.S., and it did not say baking soda removes all pesticide residue from all produce.
Food safety agencies also continue to confirm that washing produce matters. The FDA has stated consumers should rinse fruits and vegetables under running water, even when they plan to peel them, because dirt and surface contaminants can transfer from the skin to the flesh during cutting.
What this means for shoppers in everyday kitchens
For home cooks across the U.S., the confirmed point is that a baking soda wash can be a practical kitchen step when cleaning produce before eating or cooking. What is not confirmed is a single national standard telling consumers to soak every item in baking soda for the same amount of time, because produce types and pesticide use can vary.
Leafy greens, berries, and soft produce can also react differently than firm produce like apples. Federal food safety guidance has not released one universal baking soda formula for every fruit and vegetable, and health agencies do not recommend using soap, detergent, or commercial household cleaners on produce.
That leaves shoppers with a narrower set of confirmed basics. Running water remains the standard recommendation, scrubbing firm produce is advised when possible, and baking soda solution is the household add-on most associated with better residue reduction in published research.
Why this advice keeps coming up
The reason baking soda keeps coming up is tied to how pesticide residues behave on produce surfaces. The 2017 apple study found the alkaline solution helped break down or remove more of the residues tested than water alone, which is why the method is frequently repeated in consumer food coverage.
That context matters because pesticide residue does not mean produce is automatically unsafe. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency sets residue limits, and the USDA’s Pesticide Data Program regularly tests produce samples to monitor compliance with federal standards.
For customers, the practical expectation is straightforward. Washing produce is still recommended, baking soda is the one household ingredient most strongly linked to improved pesticide removal in published testing, and no washing method has been confirmed to eliminate every residue in every case. Consumers should expect standard rinse guidance to remain the baseline in U.S. food safety advice.
