Yes, you should wash the bananas before you eat them (and there is a good reason)

Lavar the fruit and vegetables before consuming them is a fundamental food safety rule. This includes peeled fruit, since when cut, the knife can introduce bacteria into it. 

But does this rule apply to bananas, even though they are naturally thicker?

According to Lynn Blanchard of Better Homes & Gardens, and entomologist Daniel Kiefer, the answer is yes, bananas must be taken. 

This is justified for the following reasons: 

1. Prevention of fruit flies

Kiefer highlights that fruit flies are very active in environments with mature or very mature fruit exposed, or that contain anything with fruit or sweet aroma, such as spilled fruit juice.

“ Fruit flies are attracted by bananas due to their strong smell, besides fungi and bacteria that can develop into ripe fruit. These usually deposit eggs in bananas ", explains.

“ To keep them away from your kitchen you should try to eliminate the factors that attract them. Make sure you wash immediately to get rid of the eggs of the fruit flies as soon as you bring them home”, because they may already have deposited the eggs while the fruit was transported or stored in the supermarket.

Other ways to prevent (or eliminate) fruit flies:

– Use a dehumifier to reduce humidity at home, which makes the environment less attractive for these insects; 

– As fruit flies are attracted by moisture, be aware of clothes, mops, sponges and dishcloths;

– Remove the ripe or past fruits from your kitchen as soon as possible, eating them, cooling them, freezing them or composting them;

– place dirty napkins, meat scraps, out-of-date food and other products showing signs of deterioration in an external garbage container immediately after finding them;

2. Food safety

Another important reason why you should wash bananas is to reduce the risk of diseases. If there are genes and dirt in the shell, there is the possibility of transferring them to the banana, for example, if you hold the fruit with your hands.

“ Even if it does not cut the fruit, dirt and bacteria can be transferred by peeling it or simply handling it,” the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics warns.

With washing bananas

Washing bananas is very simple. Just run them through cold water under the tap for 30 seconds. Then with a napkin or clean cloth just dry them. Clean bananas should be stored on a bench, away from heat, direct sunlight and other sources of ethylene gas.