Before a fruit or vegetable reaches our kitchen, it may have already gone through several stages of farming, harvesting and transportation. By the time it lands on our plate, however, there is one thing most of us do almost instinctively: wash it.

Plain water can remove visible dirt and grime, but it may not remove all pesticide residues. National-level testing has found pesticide residues in one in five fruit samples, highlighting a concern that often remains invisible on the kitchen counter.

It was this everyday problem that caught the attention of Pune-based scientist Dr Asmita Prabhune.

Five years to find a solution

Rather than simply asking people to wash their produce more thoroughly, Dr Prabhune set out to develop a solution that could help tackle pesticide residues more effectively.

For five years, she worked through formulation challenges, trials and testing to develop Sophab, an organic produce-wash solution made using natural salts and herbal oils.

According to the team,........

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