In Moscow, the sale of melons "from the ground" is prohibited. Sales outlets should be equipped with mesh chests and special scales instead of household, medical and postal scales. Sellers should not cut and sell watermelons and melons in slices.

In addition, visual information about the operating mode of the outlet and the legal address of the trade organization should be placed on the tray or breakup.

To protect yourself, it is best not to buy watermelons at "spontaneous" breakdowns, where the products are not checked by sanitary services, and always ask if they have any documents. And even more so, you should not buy at the roadside collapses: there the products absorb toxins.

Some producers stimulate the ripening of melons with nitrogen fertilizers, which leads to the accumulation of nitrates in watermelons. The consequences of their use can be serious - acute infectious poisoning or chronic intoxication, which doctors call the "cumulative effect".

How to identify a nitrate "bomb"

It is impossible to determine the nitrate watermelon by eye if it is not cut. You shouldn't even try a berry if its pulp is laced with yellow or light yellow fibers or has a purple tint.

If you soak the pulp of a nitrated watermelon in water, it will turn red or pink due to the high content of nitrates. A "healthy" watermelon will make the water slightly cloudy.

If you knock on a nitrate watermelon, it feels like you are hitting a lowered ball. In appearance, such a watermelon may be ripe, but if it does not crack when squeezed, it means that it has ripened not without someone else's "help"

What a flawless watermelon should look like

There is a widespread belief that a large watermelon is "nitrate". This is not true: for example, for the “chill” variety, 10-20 kilograms is far from the limit.

The ideal watermelon should be large enough, not very heavy and with a distinct striped pattern. In order to determine the natural ripeness of a watermelon, first of all, you need to pay attention to the stalk - the tail at the top of the fruit must be dry.

The purchased watermelon should not have cuts and cracks through which germs that cause intestinal infections get inside.

There is a myth that a ripe watermelon should ring when you pat it with your palm. In fact, the sound depends on whether the pulp has softened inside or not. It is the green fruit that will ring, and the ripe watermelon should be deaf.

The crackle that a watermelon makes when squeezed with your hands is a good sign. You can safely buy such a product.

The earthen spot at the bottom of the side should preferably be yellow, not white.

And the last thing. A ripe watermelon can be easily scratched - sliding your fingernail over it will easily remove the top layer of the skin.

When choosing a melon, connoisseurs advise paying attention to the aroma that its peel should exude, to the softness that is felt to the touch, and also to the absence of light brown spots.

What to do in case of "nitrate" poisoning

In addition to nitrates, watermelons can contain microbes and even heavy metals. In case of poisoning, it is necessary to drink as much water as possible to prevent dehydration and reduce the manifestations of the disease.

Is watermelon so useful

There is conflicting information about the benefits of watermelons. Some say that the fiber of watermelons contains potassium, which is washed out of the body when taking diuretics. Therefore, watermelons are advised to be consumed for diseases such as cystitis and nephritis.

At the same time, there is an opinion that, although all melons and gourds contain fiber, it is poorly absorbed, loading the stomach. That is why doctors advise children and the elderly over 50 years old to give up juicy fruits.

The material was prepared by the Internet edition of www.rian.ru based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

You can check watermelons for nitrates not only in laboratory conditions - there are signs by which it is easy to find out even at home whether they are good for food.

In addition, it is worth learning how to choose the right watermelon, because its quality can be determined even before buying. You need to pay attention both to the fruit itself and to the equipment of the trading place (often even a good watermelon can be spoiled, being in improper conditions). As an example, let's try to choose and test a watermelon for nitrates at home.

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Choosing a watermelon

To protect yourself from buying a "harmful" watermelon, you need to pay attention to the following:

• You should buy watermelons in specialized markets, where appropriate storage conditions (hygienic and sanitary) are created, and there are also special permits;
• Watermelons should not be in contact with the ground - lie on the floor (to avoid dirt getting into microcracks). It is customary to store all fruits on special shelves in clean containers;
• It is better to avoid buying a cut, cracked, crushed or broken watermelon, since germs spread especially quickly in the sweet pulp of the berries (including under the halves covered with film). For the same reason, it is better to refuse to sample the sliced ​​watermelon on the market;
• Ripe and naturally grown (without excessive feeding), the watermelon rings when tapped, and the tip will be dry.

Testing for nitrates

There are several ways to test a watermelon for nitrate at home:

• A whole watermelon can be dipped in a container of water (for example, in a bathroom). If the watermelon floats, then it is of high quality, and if it goes to the bottom, then with nitrates;
• The cut of a pure watermelon will be uneven, with grains. A smooth, bright cut indicates a high nitrate content;
• Large yellowish or whitish veins in the pulp are also a sign that the watermelon has been overfed with fertilizers;
• You can look at a cut of a watermelon in the light and if the surface is slightly purple, it is better not to eat such a fruit;
• A piece of watermelon pulp can be dipped in clean water and left for 15 minutes. If the water simply becomes cloudy from the pulp - the watermelon is good, and if it turns bright pink or red, it means that the watermelon is with nitrates.

Eating watermelon

It is also worth remembering the rules for using watermelon:

• Watermelon is an independent dish. You need to eat it two hours before or two hours after the main meal (the combination of watermelon with other food can overload the stomach);
• Before using the watermelon, wash it thoroughly with clean running water;
• Most of the nitrates are stored in the peel of the fruit, so you should not eat the watermelon to the very crust.

Watermelons are able to contain a huge amount of nitrates, and this largely depends on the large sizes that these can reach.In the summer, almost all people enjoy juicy watermelon pulp, which is most prone to absorption, to protect themselves and their loved ones from possible poisoning, you should learn how to determine the amount of toxic components yourself.

By themselves, nitrates in watermelon are practically non-toxic, however, nitrites are formed from them, the danger of which is that they can provoke a lack of oxygen in the blood, as a result of which hypoxia occurs. With an excessive intake of nitrates into the body, the incubation period of the disease can be from 2 to 6 hours, after which signs of acute poisoning begin to be detected.

Symptoms of nitrate intoxication:

• the appearance of cyanosis of the mucous membranes, lips, face and nails;
• nausea;
• increased salivation;
• vomit;
• stomach pain;
• diarrhea;
• general weakness;
• drowsiness;
• Strong headache;
• impaired coordination of movements.

Caution - nitrate watermelon!

In a watermelon overfed with nitrates, the pulp is intensely red with a slight purple tint. The fibers running from the core to the crust are yellow, while they should normally be white. The "wrong" watermelon has a smooth glossy cut surface, and if you grind its flesh in a glass of water, it turns pink or red. It should be noted that early foods contain a higher amount of nitrates, so it is best to buy them in late summer or early fall. The properties of the fruit depend not so much on the season as on the growing and watering conditions. The norm of nitrates in watermelon should not exceed 60 mg per kilogram of product, and anything above these indicators poses a threat to human health and life.

Choosing the "right" watermelon

If you knock on the crust of a normal watermelon, you can hear a slight ringing, and the nitrate product makes a specific sound of a deflated rubber ball. When a healthy fetus is squeezed, a characteristic crackle is heard, it has a clear bright pattern, and an earthen spot is visible from one side of it. Nitrates in watermelon make its flesh glossy and too smooth, although it should normally be
grainy and sugar. A dangerous fruit often has rotten specks on its crust, which indicate that it was in these places that harmful substances were injected. Purple or yellow streaks in the pulp indicate that the nitrates in the watermelon are much higher than the permissible limits. It should be noted that, as a rule, they contain more harmful substances, therefore it is recommended to choose medium-sized melons and gourds.

There are a lot of tips on how to test a watermelon for nitrates, but for this there is a special device called a nitrate meter. With the help of such a device, you can quickly and accurately determine the amount of harmful substances contained in the fruits. By the way, nitrates in watermelon accumulate unevenly: their high concentration is observed under the crust of the fruit, therefore it is this part that must be taken for analysis.

How to recognize nitrate watermelon

Watermelon is considered the best natural diuretic: it perfectly removes salts and toxins, and therefore doctors often recommend it - for gout, kidney, liver, heart and stomach diseases. In addition, watermelon contains a lot of iron, so it is introduced into the diet of patients with anemia. It is useful to gnaw on watermelon seeds - their oil resembles almond in its qualities. But besides the benefits, the watermelon can be fraught with danger. Often, in the pursuit of a harvest, mid-season varieties of watermelons are stimulated with nitrogen fertilizers, which affects our health. Upon entering the human body, nitrates (in themselves safe) are converted into other salts of nitric acid - nitrites. Nitrite inhibits cellular respiration. In high doses, they reduce performance and cause a feeling of fatigue. Dizziness, fainting are possible. It is also possible to exacerbate chronic heart disease. An adult can easily tolerate a dose of 150-200 mg per day. The maximum permissible dose is 500 mg per day, when 600 mg of nitrates or more are ingested, poisoning occurs. For severe poisoning of a small child, 40-50 mg is enough. Several dozen children from 2 to 5 years old die almost every year in the south of Russia and in the Crimea. The reason is a slice of watermelon or melon: 80-100 mg of nitrates contained in it will not affect an adult in any way, but can be fatal for a small child. Nitrates accumulated in watermelon, when consumed, are safely transferred to the human body. The consequences can be severe - acute infectious poisoning or chronic intoxication, which doctors call the "cumulative effect".

5 signs will help you distinguish a dangerous watermelon:
- knock on a watermelon - a feeling as if you are hitting a lowered ball;
- the cut is smooth and even glossy in appearance, although it should glow with sugar grains;
- if you crumble the pulp into a glass of water, then the water will turn pink or red, a healthy watermelon will make the liquid just cloudy;
- the flesh is pale with thick veins;
- if the watermelon does not crack when squeezed, but it looks mature, it means that it has ripened not without someone else's "help".

Healthy watermelon:
The first indicator of the natural ripeness of a watermelon is a dry stalk (tail at the top of the fruit). Watermelon (a trace of a flower on the lower "pole" of the fruit) is only an anatomical defect of the flower, it has nothing to do with ripeness. It is believed that a ripe watermelon should ring when you pat it with your palm. In fact, the sound depends on whether the pulp has softened inside or not. It is the green fruit that will ring, and the ripe watermelon should be deaf. The crackle that a watermelon makes when squeezed with your hands is a good sign. You can safely buy such a product. The earthen spot at the bottom of the side should preferably be yellow, not white. And the last thing. A ripe watermelon can be easily scratched - sliding your fingernail over it will easily remove the top layer of the skin.

One married couple moved to live in a new apartment.
In the morning, barely waking up, the wife looked out the window and saw a neighbor who was hanging the washed laundry on a rope.
“Look how dirty her laundry is,” she told her husband.
But he read the newspaper and did not pay any attention to it.
- Probably, she has bad soap, or she does not know how to wash at all. We ought to teach her, - the woman did not calm down.
And so, every time a neighbor hung up the laundry, the woman wondered how dirty it was.
One fine morning, looking out the window, she exclaimed:
- Wow! The linen is clean today. Probably the neighbor has finally learned to wash.
- No, - said the husband, - I just got up early today and washed your window.

Watermelon is one of the most favorite treats for both adults and children. The giant striped berry is not only tasty, but also very useful for the body. It is not in vain that it is recommended to use watermelon when following a diet, because its use helps cleanse the kidneys, and also removes toxins.

However, with the beginning of the season of vegetables and berries, consumers are in danger of purchasing low-quality products. The fact is that in order to obtain an earlier harvest, producers feed almost all crops with nitrates. For the sake of great profit, the allowed amount of nitrates is often exceeded many times. Watermelon, "stuffed" with them, becomes hazardous to health and causes food poisoning. Therefore, it is so important not to buy the first early fruits and berries, especially for children.

How to determine the increased amount in order to protect your family from unwanted consequences? The most accurate will be the use of laboratory methods or a special apparatus - a nitrate meter, but this is not very acceptable at home. First of all, you should choose the right berries when buying and carefully examine them.

How to choose a quality watermelon?

For watermelon, you should go to specialized vegetable rows. Unlike spontaneous markets, sellers there have documents for a sale permit and the storage conditions are observed.

When choosing a berry, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• the fruit must be intact, without traces of damage on the skin;
• to the touch, the watermelon is hard from all sides, without soft, rotting areas, slightly rough, but not smooth;
• the stalk of a ripe watermelon is dry, and the fruit itself rings on impact;
• the earthen spot on the side where the watermelon touched the soil has an even yellow color.

Home methods for determining the presence of nitrates

You can independently determine nitrates in watermelons using plain water. There are two options for checking:

1. Pour water into a large container and dip a whole watermelon into it. The "drowned" fruit indicates a large amount of nitrates, and the emerged one can be consumed without any fear.
2. Cut a slice of watermelon pulp and place it in a half-liter jar of water. The liquid should turn slightly pink or cloudy. The deep pink, red or purple color of the water confirms the presence of nitrates.

The rind of the watermelon accumulates the most nitrates, so it should be cut to a pink flesh.

Sometimes you can literally check the safety of a berry by eye. In a watermelon overfed with nitrates, in the section, you can see streaks of yellow instead of white, and the flesh itself has an unnatural red color. In addition, the rind of the watermelon is perfectly smooth and shiny. It is impossible to acquire such a watermelon, and even more so to use it.

Checking watermelon for nitrates - video