To not wash my fruit and veg

I don't either. Vegetables from supermarkets don't have dirt on them like they used to so I don't see a need.

I was potatoes and carrots if I'm peeling them for no other reason that I find it easier to peel. I'll wash or wipe veg if there's mud on it but apart from that I've never been worried about bacteria or pesticides on vegetables!

All pesticides have regulations associated with them, and what are called harvest intervals. Basically, pesticides are designed to be rain-fast (stay in the plant and not get washed off), but not 'too' stable that they never degrade. These harvest intervals mean that each pesticide has a set number of days before the plant is to be harvested that it can be sprayed. So, for example, a harvest interval of 3 days means the grower can use it three days before the plant is due to be harvested, and laboratory tests have confirmed that by the time it is harvested/eaten, the pesticide is now at a sufficiently low concentration that it is (effectively) harmless.

However, this does not factor in bacteria, fungi, insects, faecal matter, etc. These plants could have been handled by pickers who didn't wash their hands, be somewhat mouldy (e.g. Botrytis), have had a bird crap on them, or simply be covered in dirt... so in this respect, while you're definitely below the maximum residue limit (MRL) for pesticides, it's still better to be safe.

If you don't wash though, you're probably still safe, but really, what's the harm.

@DeskJotter "And do you think a quick rinse would have washed away the bacteria or virus that was on the spinach?"

Removing every virus and bacteria would be impossible. The goal of rinsing is to reduce the number so they're less likely to make you ill.

Mushrooms are ruined by washing and taste best on the way home from the shop with soil still present 😶‍🌫️😋

Knock off any visible mud but other than that, no.
Dh does most of the cooking, perhaps he does a bit more than that but when it’s me, nothing gets washed. Still alive and with a robust immune system.

I have never washed fruit and veg. OK, I do wash leeks as they can have a lot of grit in them. I pick blackberries off the bush and eat them straight away. I have a stomach of steel.

Oh yes grapes - a friend whose parents grew them said ALWAYS wash them, and I certainly agree they are genuinely dirty/dusty when sold! Also cucumbers and most tomatoes, I find.

I don’t wash things I’ve grown myself. Or berries - they are so spoiled by washing…

I've literally never bothered, unless it's visibly dirty. Even mushrooms with a bit of soil on, I just wipe it off and crack on. Some level of germs is good for your immune system and I think we could all benefit from that after being locked down for several years.

I left a bunch of grapes in a bowl of cold water. A white bowl. When I fished them out ten minutes later the bottom of the bowl had turned brown. So now I always wash everything.

Grocery store employee arrested for urinating on vegetables....

I think that removing the soil and grit would have lessened the risk...I can't do links but if you google food poisoning from soil, there's a lot of information

Of course I do. Their long journey to my table means they have been touched and exposed to many things. Would you pick up your strawberry to eat it with your hands dirty from gardening/using the loo/using public services? I wouldn’t.

I'm disabled and lazy so sometimes I wash mine in my mini dishwasher on the fruit and veg wash cycle if it's a fair amount of stuff that needs prepping. I've seen some health conscious people on Reddit saying they wash fruit and veg in bicarb and vinegar.

The time we went to stay with my aunt and uncle and she didn't wash the plums she put in her crumble is enshrined in family memory. We children didn't eat it as we didn't like plums. Aunt and my parents ate it for lunch and were sick during the afternoon. Uncle was at work so came home later and was warned not to eat the crumble. "Rubbish" he said, "it's all in the mind". We heard the result as he threw up over night.

Yes have always rinsed all veg before cooking. Don't want grit or bugs in my food thanks very much!

And do you think a quick rinse would have washed away the bacteria or virus that was on the spinach?

I've never washed them, and have not suffered any ill effects.

Nope, never. Never had food poisoning either and I eat lots of fruit and veg. Rinsing it under cold water is doing fuck all, but if it makes people feel better 🤷‍♀️

Yes

Have you read what you posted? It’s for pregnant women 😂

Until very recently I never bothered washing veg (unless potatoes looked really muddy). Then I cooked some organic broccoli and when I drained it there were LOADS of tiny flies in the colander. It was so grim. I’ll always wash my veg from now on.

I usually rinse something I'm not cooking. So fruit and occasionally veg. I get the 'ready to eat' bagged spinach as I can't be arsed with the one you need to wash as I'm usually eating it in a wrap and I don't want it to be all wet.

I wash to remove soil/sand/dust/general muck and grit.

Very tempted to cold water sterilise after this thread though 🤢

There is!

https://www.nhsinform.scot/ready-steady-baby/pregnancy/looking-after-yourself-and-your-baby/eating-well-in-pregnancy/

Plus most fruit and veg packets literally state "rinse before use"