John Myers
We love fruit salad. Bacteria and mold too – especially the pre-cut ones.
A small snack in between – in the morning before work or while waiting for the train. Ready-cut fruit is popular as a small meal, it’s quick and you don’t have to use your hand or knife to get an energy boost. The refrigerated counters in the supermarkets are filled with small cups full of sliced melons, apples or pineapples. But the vitamin bombs have a snag: On the one hand, the plastic packaging leaves behind garbage, since the fruit is packed in tons of plastic to protect it from air contact. On the other hand, the “Fruits to go” can also be harmful to health. A case in the US showed that: 60 people there became infected with salmonella from melons – 200 others fell ill from lettuce packed in plastic because it was contaminated with EHEC pathogens.
But how do the bacteria and germs get to the apparently fresh food? The problem is that the fruit is already cut. Nutrient-rich liquid can escape through the interfaces, providing the perfect home for germs, bacteria and mold. If the cold chain has been broken just once, or the finished fruit has been lying around for a long time, more germs will form and the health risk will increase.
It is also a misconception that the vitamin boost comes directly with the ready-made fruit. Because the pulp is no longer protected when it is cut open. This makes it very easy for oxygen and light to destroy the vitamins – especially vitamin C – in the pulp.
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