The importance of washing all types of fruits, including those whose peels are not edible

Dr. Tatiana Bochikhovskaya, a gastroenterologist, points out that washing all types of fruits before eating them is necessary to avoid contracting food-borne diseases.

According to her, Norovirus is the main cause of disease outbreaks due to contaminated food, so all fruits must be washed before eating them, including those whose peels cannot be eaten, such as red and yellow watermelon and others.

She says: “All fruits must be washed before eating them to reduce the amount of bacteria and surface contamination that may be present, because fruit passes through many hands before it reaches the consumer, so it is necessary to wash even peeled fruits, such as watermelon of all kinds and others.”

She points out that the scratches on the surface of fruits facilitate the penetration of bacteria into them. Of course, this part of the fruit must be cut, but only after washing it.

“It is recommended to wash fruits with cold running water for a minute or two before eating them. But before that, you should wash your hands with soap and water, in order to remove any bacteria or viruses from your hands that could reach the food. If the surface of the product is hard, you can use a brush or scrub the product well but gently with your hands,” she says.

According to her, after these processes, the fruits should be dried using paper towels and then they can be eaten or peeled and eaten.