To think a lot of people dont actually wash fruit?

[TartanDr3ams]

Or are me and 90% of my colleagues gross?

Got some strawberries, blueberries and grapes on my break earlier and just plonked the punnets on my desk and told my workmates to help themselves.. a few people dive in, a quick thanks and back to work.

One colleague just made the monster of all fusses over the fact that ive not washed all said fruit and put into bowls and i quote "its absolutely barbaric that youre expecting people to eat right from the punnet they came in".

Maybe i should wash the fruit.. or maybe if you want to dig into my fruit you can wash it yourself?

I do wash them usually as a lot of punnets have those drainage holes at the bottom which makes it easy to give them a rinse, but I also wouldn't stress about eating straight from the punnet either. They get cleaned after picking and then handling after that is minimal if they're in sealed punnets.

I always wash loose fruit from the supermarket though. Never know who's been handling it or sneezing on it before you!

“Washing fruits and vegetables can remove 99 percent of pathogens,” Sanja Ilic, Ph.D., assistant professor of food safety at Ohio State University tells SELF.

A simple google.

And that was with just cold water.

i wash my DD’s but not my own. I always think what is a quick rinse of water going to do? surely not wash off norovirus or TB as has been mentioned in this thread! but i know you’re meant to...

I wouldn't trust mass cleaning of fruit and veg by companies - large quantities of fruit or veg possibly sitting in water that might be reused for a few loads of whichever fruit or veg so they might be washed in water that's not that clean as it might not be changed regularly. That's another reason I wash salad in bags. To me it's common sense but each to their own.

Googling it it seems a lot of government agencies, Drs etc are recommending fruit and veg are washed.

I rarely wash fruit. Only if there are obvious signs of dirt, which doesn't happen that often.

I’ve never washed fruit, unless it’s obviously dirty. I think I can say with my cast iron stomach that I’m fine. Rarely if ever get ill, haven’t vomited or had D&V for at least 15 years. (That was after a pizza with anchovies, not sure if it was the cause though)

I wonder how our caveman ancestors survived!

To the people throwing their hands up in horror at the thought of me eating a tomato straight off the plant, when was you last sick?

Because then your strawberries will taste of soap?

You know you rinse the soap off yes? And like magic they somehow don't taste of soap when you rinse them thoroughly.

Haven't read the whole thread but I always wash fruit thoroughly. I was once at a lecture about Hepatitis C. Admittedly this was 20 years ago. They told us that in some countries the fruit pickers were paid by the weight of the fruit that they picked. To increase the weight some pickers urinated on the fruit causing a spread of various diseases. So yes , I always wash fruit. Having said all that it probably doesn't happen any more!

At work the other day I noticed a label in the box of lemons. On it was printed the name of four different chemicals. This being an interest of mine I brought the label home and researched the chemicals. All four were fungicides, three of which are known carcinogens. The fourth is a suspected carcinogen. I know very few people eat the skin of lemons, but I expect they put it in gin. When I was spraying fungicides I wore a full cover all, chemical resistant gloves and a respirator. End users will not be exposed to the product for the length of time I was, nor will they handle the concentrate, but washing the residue off ( particularly soft fruits and salads which at this time of year are mostly imported), is a good idea.

“Washing fruits and vegetables can remove 99 percent of pathogens,” Sanja Ilic, Ph.D., assistant professor of food safety at Ohio State University tells SELF.....A simple google

Look, another simple google!
A new study has revealed that washing an apple under running water is not enough to remove the pesticides that are sprayed over its skin. A baking soda solution dip for 12 to 15 minutes could be the answer to removal of harmful chemicals from the fruits, find researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst

I wish people would realise that its never as simple as just google.

So two different studies showing 2 different things. Why not wash then to be on the safe side? The NHS recommends it so why not follow it?

Seems common sense to me but if people are happy with their choices after weighing up the risks then that's up to them. To me it's logical to wash after reading things like this:

[https://foodrevolution.org/blog/how-to-wash-vegetables-fruits/]

Well honestly, when a scientist who specialises in food says it’s better to wash your fruit, then why wouldn’t I? It’s hardly ‘not as simple as just googling’ is it? We’re not debating some technical political point. We’re talking about doing something that takes five seconds of time and stops you being a clarty minger.

Besides which, the studies are talking about totally dofferent things - pathogens and chemicals.

I’m sure you could google the difference but then you do so wish people wouldn realise that that is never the solution.

So two different studies showing 2 different things. Why not wash then to be on the safe side? The NHS recommends it so why not follow it?

The NHS says an awful lot of things that I have no intention of following. Having looked at all the evidence, I don't care to wash my fruit, and given that such a policy has not injured me or anyone I have ever met, I'm comfortable with continuing on my merry way.

Well honestly, when a scientist who specialises in food says it’s better to wash your fruit, then why wouldn’t I? It’s hardy ‘not as simple as just googling’ is it? We’re not debating some technical political point. We’re talking about doing something that takes five seconds of time and stops you being a clarty minger

Other food scientists say you need to do far more to actually wash them, so if you're doing it for 5 seconds then you are a "clarty minger" whatever the fuck that means, aren't you? Your own logic says so.

Ha, Slievenamon, I'm with you on that - I don't follow all the NHS or government advice either. It's there for the masses but up to individuals to decide for themselves.

To me if some pesticides can be washed off even not fully then it's worth it. If others are fine with it up to them.

Most people equate washing with running under the tap and rubbing. Unless you put the fruit through the dishwasher you are probs not achieving anything. I don't bother.

I never said I relied on 'cold water'. I use baking soda and I rub the skin of the fruit. That will remove most dirt and chemicals.

Jaysus!! Good luck to you madam, I'm in awe of your, erm, something or otherness..... goes off to do something meaningful

PS - I'm a scientarst and I've proven that people who say "Clarty Minger" are HowlerMonkeys.....

I wonder how our caveman ancestors survived!

There is evidence that early man had more "filters" for bad food such as our now-useless appendix. Also modern contamination seems to result from mass production methods that early man wouldn't have had.

The appendix is not useless.

I think their reaction was a tad over the top! I would eat a strawberry or two if I was offered them unwashed, risks are low for a tiny bit here and there. But I do always wash fruit and veg at home, including potatoes, tomatoes. Everything (think of all the different hands all over it, from field to supermarket, not to mention the sprays, pretty yuk!)

What is a scientarst?? I have all sorts of possibilities running through my mind...

Only my daughter washes fruit in our house and that’s only because of medical issues (better safe than sorry)
We used to pick fruit straight off the tree or bush and eat it when we were younger and I’m still alive to tell the tail.

washing fruit is not going to make any difference to germs, chemicals, sneezes etc, unless you wash in dettol or similar, so I can't see the point