Is it safe to eat conventional grapes, apples, and berries without washing?

What's actually in it

Grapes, apples, strawberries, and blueberries are sprayed with triazole fungicides (propiconazole, tebuconazole, difenoconazole) to prevent mold during storage and shipping. The residues stay on the skin. Many triazoles are fat-soluble, so they don't rinse off with a quick water splash: they need a little soap or a baking soda soak.

Kids eat a lot of these fruits, often straight out of a grocery bag into the mouth.

What the research says

A 2026 review in Rev Environ Health pulled together the evidence on triazole fungicide genotoxicity in mammals. The review concluded that triazoles induce oxidative stress and DNA damage across multiple experimental systems. The effects occurred at levels comparable to real-world dietary exposure, not just high lab doses.

The practical fix is a two-minute baking soda soak. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda into a bowl of water, drop the fruit in, swirl for a minute or two, then rinse under running water. This removes far more residue than water alone. A vinegar soak also works. Organic is the fuller solution for the items on the "Dirty Dozen" list from the Environmental Working Group (strawberries, spinach, kale, grapes, apples). For conventional fruit, assume the residue is there and wash like you mean it.