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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have fed her DC unwashed strawberries?

667 replies

brilliantdances · 12/07/2021 17:19

Neighbour will probably see this. Not sure I care. Perhaps she will see how silly she is!

She was desperate for someone to have her DD and I said I would, no worries, all fine.

Her DD shared a box of strawberries with DS today and long story short, she's picked her DC and her DC has told her this.

I have received a text saying ''Hi, thanks again for having Kate. Please can I ask though, next time wash the strawberries before giving them to her? They are dangerous if not washed properly and she could become so unwell. Would you really want that?''

I haven't replied and won't be. AIBU to have not washed them?! Would if I was at home but it was actually just a quick snack shared out

OP posts:
Comedycook · 12/07/2021 19:52

@Killahangilion

My young and very healthy niece died from e-coli poisoning. She suffered a very painful and premature death and I really wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy so I think YABU to be so nasty and dismissive of your neighbours genuine concerns.

But then plenty of posters a think that being required to wear face masks indoors is against their human rights so…🤷🏻‍♀️

Sorry for your loss.

Food poisoning can be so serious. People here seem to think it's a joke and just want to make out that people are uptight. I remember on the news once a takeaway restaurant had poor hygiene and people got really sick from it. Some were still unwell and suffering the effects years later.

Nohomemadecandles · 12/07/2021 19:53

@Comedycook but they aren't absorbent Grin

Tistheseason17 · 12/07/2021 19:54

Don't reply - it will drive her even more mad 😂

Kettledodger · 12/07/2021 19:55

I wash fruit most times but sometimes not, I wash hands before eating most times but sometimes not. I am 49,DP is 50 we have DSS 27 and DS 17 we are all still alive and none of us have been seriously ill. Just a little OTT maybe Grin

AuntMargo · 12/07/2021 19:55

She's a silly moo, I never wash any fruit or veg, my kids and grandkids are all healthy lol

Sceptre86 · 12/07/2021 19:55

I don't bother washing fruit for myself but would for my kids normally. That being said they have had an unwashed apple in the car when on our way home from the supermarket. I always wash vegetables.

She sounds snotty and should be sorting out her own childcare if yours isn't up to her standards. I'd not offer again!

Confusedandshaken · 12/07/2021 19:55

Back to the point of the thread - she's a CF.

next time you see her OP it would be great to say something along the lines of ' it was a pleasure to help you out with Katie the other day. I would be happy to do it again but only if you are happy for me to exercise my judgement when she is with me'. But I'm a wimp and wouldn't say anything. She's still a CF though.

HopingForOurRainbowBaby · 12/07/2021 19:56

I eat a couple unwashed on the way round the strawberry fields. Haven't died yet.

LookItsMeAgain · 12/07/2021 20:00

@Willyoujustbequiet

Yabu

There is e.coli is soil. It can kill. I've known healthy people who have died from it.

To all those replies saying its done them no harm please educate yourselves. There's a lot of stuff that we did in the past that we know better to then do now. This is one. E-coli kills.

To the best of my meagre horticultural knowledge (and it really is quite poor), I was under the impression that strawberries, unlike say carrotts or potatoes, grow above the soil and their contact with the soil, and similarly contaminated e-coli soil, would be quite minimal throughout their lifecycle from plant to fruit.
ElephantOfRisk · 12/07/2021 20:03

@icelollycraving

I remember a thread on here where people said they used washing up liquid on fruit.
I use washing up liquid on apples - i do rinse them after though, same as I do dishes...

It might be easier just to bite the apple and squirt a bit of fairy liquid in my mouth - i'll try that next time.

I'm not germ obsessed, i just don't like that waxy feel that even organic apples seem to have.

Other fruit just gets washed in plain water.

WrinklesShminkles · 12/07/2021 20:03

@JackieWeaverHandforthCouncil

I don’t know why the non washers are becoming so exercised about this to the point of attacking people who’ve come on to state that they have become very ill after eating unwashed F and V. One poor poster has come on to say her brother died like this and many attacked her rather than giving her sympathy Flowers. But then again this is the nation who had to be given demonstrations by their Prime Minister on how to wash their hands last year and many boast of never washing their hands after doing a piss so I don’t know why I’m surprised.

Anyway its not just pesticides, even fruit grown in your own garden may be sprayed with rats piss or bird shit flecks. There is evidence and advice by medical bodies that it’s best to wash your fruit and veg.

The washers are being equally exercised by the non-washers. When did policing other people's choices become the new national pastime? I wouldn't have the bandwidth to continually stress about what strangers are doing in their own homes. Maybe learn to follow your own paths and leave others to theirs.
doritodiva · 12/07/2021 20:04

I never wash any fruit.

sylbunny · 12/07/2021 20:06

I never wash any fruit - I like to live life on the wild side!

Dindundundundeeer · 12/07/2021 20:07

.

What danger is she focused on?

Would a cursory splash under water sort the issue though? I’m not sure it would. Therefore unless you use soap, pointless window dressing.

I am happy to be corrected by a suitably qualified professional Grin

TillyTottenham · 12/07/2021 20:08

@Dindundundundeeer

.

What danger is she focused on?

Would a cursory splash under water sort the issue though? I’m not sure it would. Therefore unless you use soap, pointless window dressing.

I am happy to be corrected by a suitably qualified professional Grin

I was wondering about this. Would even a thorough rinsing with cold water remove e coli from fruit?
BrandNewHeretic · 12/07/2021 20:09

@Willyoujustbequiet

It's not the pesticides its ecoli

Please google.

And of course manure but if people are happy to eat shit....

How do you get rid of e.coli?

Please Google.

Clymene · 12/07/2021 20:10

[quote Foxhasbigsocks]E. coli outbreak a few years ago was from soil remaining on leaks / potatoes:www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-wash-fruit-and-vegetables/[/quote]
Err you know that leeks grow in the ground and strawberries grow on the ends of stems?

claireb7rg · 12/07/2021 20:12

I'm a scientist and 42 and I've never washed fruit or veg, except if lettuce leaves are muddy then I rinse the mud off.

WaltzingBetty · 12/07/2021 20:12

@Killahangilion

My young and very healthy niece died from e-coli poisoning. She suffered a very painful and premature death and I really wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy so I think YABU to be so nasty and dismissive of your neighbours genuine concerns.

But then plenty of posters a think that being required to wear face masks indoors is against their human rights so…🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm terribly sorry for your loss but unless the cause of the E. coli was unwashed strawberries I'm not really seeing the connection.

Yes people absolutely die from pathogenic bacteria, and sometimes those bacteria can be associated with particular food production methods but we're discussing a very particular concern around strawberries on this thread

ravenmum · 12/07/2021 20:13

There were some widely reported cases of people falling ill due to strawberries a few years back here in Germany. I'm not always 100% careful but I'm really not keen on D&V so do usually give them a wash.

Wilkolampshade · 12/07/2021 20:13

I mean, doesn't washing strawberries take away that heavenly scent of summer?
Never done it in my 50 odd years. Kids have survived too.
Mind you DD2 took to proper eating worms when little.

Tal45 · 12/07/2021 20:14

I doubt the worry was ecoli, surely it was from all the crap they spray them with. We lived near a PYO and the would be out spraying them all the time, I wouldn't eat them without washing. I would from my garden though as I don't spray them with anything, I do generally wash them though anyway.

KellyanneConway · 12/07/2021 20:15

I have some friends who are sisters & related to someone who had breast cancer. Fortunately they had treatment and are now fine. The sisters have done a lot of anxious pseudo-scientific googling and are now terrified of stuff like pesticides; fluoride; saccharine and very vocal about it. Might there be something like that behind the rudeness anxiety coming through in the message?

zyd32 · 12/07/2021 20:16

I sometimes wash strawberries but not raspberries as it makes them a bit mushy. I would absolutely not send that text to anyone that has kindly babysat my child, it's way over the top. Nut allergy or something life threatening yes (not that you'd have given her nuts in that example), washing strawberries ... not in a million years.

My then 8 year old went to a friend's house where they played Call of Duty for most of the day. It wouldn't have been my choice but I didn't say anything as it would have embarrassed the mum in question and she was kind enough to have my son over to play with hers.

Dindundundundeeer · 12/07/2021 20:17

Just text back

Raw fruit might be dangerous, but not half as dangerous as adding “Would you really want that?'' to the end of a text you sanctimonious twat.

She won’t ask again. Grin