...not to wash fruit and vegetables that will be peeled?

[theconstantinoplegardener]

I have often noticed, prominently displayed in the fresh fruit and veg aisles at Sainsburys, signs instructing me to wash all fresh produce before use. The same on a box of Easy Peelers that I have just squashed for recycling. I would always wash items with edible skin, such as apples, tomatoes etc. But is it really necessary for food items that will be peeled before consumption? Do you wash things like oranges and onions, for example?

Of course not

I don’t wash peel that will be binned.

I’ve witnessed shoppers sneeze all over potatoes etc so I always wash them first!

Nope - waste of water!

I honestly don't wash any fruit or veg, whatever. Maybe a fruit if I'll eat it whole. But if I'm cooking it, I don't care.

I don't even wash apples, tomatoes, spinach etc. Not convinced a little water would actually do anything.

Nope. I wash nothing. Still alive!

I've never washed an onion but don't eat the thinnest outer layer.
I'd only wash things i'm eating raw and non peelable, like strawberries etc or salad stuff.
If it's being cooked I don't bother.

I also think it seems unnecessary but wondered if there was any scientific rationale behind this advice? Or whether it was just a defensive "may contain nuts" type of policy. Are there any food scientists around who could explain whether or not I should be doing this, please?

The NHS seems to suggest it's because bacteria could be on the food, for example from the soil. It doesn't expressly say this doesn't apply to things you peel.

I wouldn't wash an orange or an onion but I wash pretty much everything else, including mushrooms that I am peeling. However we live in London so the water is probably worse than the dirt!!!

www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/How-to-wash-fruit-and-vegetables.aspx

Or a banana. Surely only a loon would wash a banana?!

I wash (well a cursory rinse) peppers, leeks, tomatoes and will wipe mushrooms. That's it. Never washed a carrot in my life. I do scrub jacket spuds too.

I wash stuff that has mud on it, but not much else.

Thank you Rebecca, that's an interesting link.

I thought it was to do with pesticides that get sprayed on crops.

Would never occur to me. Guess the shop has put it there in a "cover themselves legally" way - like, as you say the "May contain traces of nuts" warning.

I don't unless filthy. However, a few years back, people in the USA died of listeria on melons. I think that their deaths could have been prevented, had they washed the skins before eating

I have been wondering about this since I saw a colleague use washing up liquid to wash an apple before using it - she (reasonably enough) argued that if water alone doesn't get dirt off of hands, dishes etc - then food, too needs soap - nhs seems to indicate this is not needed.
At the opposite extreme, my in laws don't wash anything like broccoli, cabbage. cauli etc as it will get boiled which will kill the germs. They reckon.

A few years ago lots of people got food poisoning from organic cucumbers and lettuce that had e-coil in them from fertiliser (unsurprising since it’s made from human and animal shit). In addition there’s pesticides on most foods that won’t kill you but I wouldn’t want to ingest more than necessary.

So no I wouldn’t wash an orange or banana but I would wash a potato or spinach!

I rarely wash any fruit and veg actually. I think it's good to eat some dirt/germs to boost one's immune system.

This is disgusting. If there is dirt, bacteria, etc. on the outside, it will get all over the knife and your hands, so it will be all over the peeled thing when you're done.

I don't wash a banana if I'm going to eat it without touching the fruit inside but I definitely wash it for the baby if I give it to her with just the ends peeled for BLW.

www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/inc0u/microbiologists_and_biologists_of_askscience_is/

I don’t think ingesting bacteria and pesticide residue is a good thing, no.

I rinse things if I’m going to cut through the peel with a knife (eg mangoes).

MNetters often enter into competition with each other about this sort of thing. It's often a race to the bottom... 'I once ate ham that expired in 2013 that was covered in cat hair' etc etc... And don't forget the customary 'And I'm still alive' fnar fnar.

I wash all produce. Each to their own.

I rarely wash anything, certainly not anything that is going to be peeled or cooked. Maybe leeks - as soil gets caught up in the layers.

I wash stuff if anyone else is eating it. But I I have a salad if I have to wash everything I won't bother. For my health I think I'm better off having unwashed salad