A photo circulating shows that a clementine has been preserved with “Imazalil”.
Various excited comments were written about the photo, whose author is not known, with various claims, for example that the clementine is highly carcinogenic because they “want to poison us” in what sick world we live in.
But what exactly is Imazalil, why is it used, what should you pay attention to?

What is Imazalil?
This is a fungicide, i.e. a means of combating or preventing fungal diseases.
Simply put: This prevents citrus fruits from molding prematurely. According to EU Regulation 396/2005, Imazalil may be used until the end of 2021, and the maximum residue level may not be in the fruit .
What seems to worry many users is the term “probably carcinogenic” in many articles.
However, this only means that animal experiments have shown that there is an increased risk potential , but it cannot be ruled out that the tumor development in animal experiments does not have other causes.
Night shifts , very hot drinks, red meat and hairdressing are also in the same “probably carcinogenic” level
Important: This assessment is only about the basic, possible risk potential. The particular use of a substance determines how great the actual risk is.
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How high is the contamination in citrus fruits?
At the Oldenburg Food and Veterinary Institute, citrus fruits are regularly examined for pesticide residues.
In 2017, pesticide residues were actually found in 96 percent of all samples there, but not in four samples from organic farming; only one sample from Spain contained traces of imazalil.
It should be noted, however, that the unpeeled fruits were examined in their entirety, not the peeled fruits which are then consumed; imazalil was detected most frequently.
How should you deal with the shells?
The peels of citrus fruits form a natural barrier; only in very rare cases do the pesticides reach the pulp in extremely small quantities, so that consuming them does not pose a danger.
It is different with the peels, because since they could actually contain residues of pesticides, they should neither be eaten nor used . You should also not be fooled by the label “Untreated” as this only means that the citrus fruits were no longer treated with protective products after harvest, but the fruits may well have been treated during growth.
How do I be sure?
As constant samples in recent years have shown, you can be very safe with Bioware's shells, as they must not be treated with pesticides or preservatives.
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Conclusion
Yes, citrus fruits are protected against fungi with Imazalil, among other things; residues can often be found on the peel. However, there is no direct danger unless you eat the peel in large quantities or come into direct contact with a lot of citrus fruits (like packers, for example).
In principle, however, citrus fruits should always be washed and dried with a towel before consumption; the peel itself should only be consumed if it is a purely organic product.
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

