Question: Do you wash bananas?

bukozki

I'll start worrying about where rats pee when human men start washing their hands after handling their bits and pieces.

I always wash my hands, but there are guys out there who just don't feel like their downstairs danglers are dirty.

There is people urine everywhere, mostly thanks to men.

confuseacat

Working and living around men most of my life I tend to agree!:sick: I think dirty bananas are the least of my worries. If you have ever worked in a restraunt and are sqeemish you wouldn't ever eat out again. Do you think they all wash the friut or even lettuce for your salads? Not likely from what I have seen. BTW when I worked at a school cafeteria we were required to wash all fruits and veg that were given to the kids raw.. including bananas and oranges. That was the cleanest food environment I was ever a part of. Bland food but it was clean.

byHisgrace

Yes, I always wash bananas, as well as every other fruit and veggie that passes through my kitchen. For me, it's not something I obsess over, it's just become habit.

Cantaloupe is another BIG one that people don't think to wash, and probably should. The skin of the melon is a wonderful place for bacteria and other ickys to get comfortable in. When you run a knife through it, you can drag those ickys through your entire fruit.

In the United States alone, there are approximately 76 million cases of food-bourne illness every year. Roughly 5000 of those cases result in death. Yes, we live in a dirty world, no it's not healthy to be paranoid and obsessive about germs, but taking 5 seconds to wash any piece of fruit could save you a lot of misery. Even a mild case of food poisoning isn't fun.

Mom2PAK

I've always been confused about washing fruits/veg. I know many people consider washing as running the item under water and wiping it. This gets rid of any dirt and other particles on the outside but it doesn't kill any germs. For those who are concerned about contaminated food, what are you using to wash everything? Do you actually use soap?

deedeehawaii

Do you actually use soap?

No, the soap can leave an undesirable residue. Just a good scrubbing under fresh water will usually do the trick. It is just a simple, fast, easy to do process that can reduce (if not eliminate) contaminants.

This tread is interesting, there are so many beliefs about food safety. And the point about the number of cases of food-bourne is valid. You know what, I've read that many people who think they have the "flu", actually are suffering from mild case of food poisoning.

And the comment about men washing (or not) their hands .... you want to see gross, there are WOMEN who use the restroom and then literally allow a slight stream of water to sprinkle their fingertips and think that is washing. The whole issue of handwashing is another scary topic. Although, it does tie in here, because those same dirty-handed people could be the farm worker that handles your food, or the produce man in the store that handles your food, or the cashier. All the more reason to wash your fruits and vegetables at home before you put them away or use them.

Yes, I know about restaurants. I've worked in more than one. But, the fact that restaurant food can be nasty is still not a reason for me to not try to protect my family's food at home. I just have to keep my family's health in mind, and take that minute to wash things before I serve it to them. I love having a healthy family.

crapattack

i don't bother because you're not eating the skin, but i've also been known to not wash apples ><

Tri_Dad

l'll start washing bananas as soon as I start eating banana peels. lol
What doesnt kill you, makes you stronger.

sbilyeu75

I don't wash my bananas. I peel them. Of course, I'm the type of person that if I find a hair in my food, I seperate it out and keep on eating.

deedeehawaii

i don't bother because you're not eating the skin ><

Yes, that is a common thought. But, watch the video. Then say aloud, "Cross Contamination is when we carry bacteria from one object to another object". Such as from the dirty outside of a fruit, onto your hands, onto the next food that you handle. Just because you are not eating the skin does not mean that it is not contaminating other foods if unwashed. The concept is an eyeopener. The fix is easy. Live healthy everyone!

jw17695

I've never washed my bananas and never even thought to. I guess since I'm a preschool teacher and deal with germs all day, the idea of a dirty banana doesn't exactly scare me.

roylawrence87

As a forklift technician, I work in the warehouse industry. That includes food shipping warehouses. If you have seen some of the things I have seen, you wouldnt want to eat at all. All the food we eat has been contaminated in some sort. With that being said, disinfect everything you touch.

deedeehawaii

As a forklift technician, I work in the warehouse industry. That includes food shipping warehouses. If you have seen some of the things I have seen, you wouldnt want to eat at all. All the food we eat has been contaminated in some sort. With that being said, disinfect everything you touch.

Yeah, I knew someone who worked in a peanut storage warehouse, and after hearing about the sprays they used, it was years before I could look a peanut in the eye.:noway: Ditto for raisins, and how they are stored prior to processing.:sad:

crapattack

i never thought about the cross contamination! i will be extra careful when i eat bananas from now on >.>