In a viral TikTok, a wellness influencer shares what she says is the correct way to wash your produce after she found supposed parasites in her blackberries.
Kristina Elise (@kristinaaaaelise) has reached over 951,000 views and 34,000 likes on her video. She added an on-screen caption saying, “Parasites came out of fruit after properly soaking it.”
What does she say is the ‘proper’ way to wash produce?
Elise starts her video by showing what she says is a freshly washed blackberry with a white parasite on it. She firmly tells viewers, “You need to properly soak your produce.”
“Look how disgusting this is. Look how big this is,” she continues as she moves the blackberry in a circle to show all sides. Elise mentions that this was the second piece of fruit her family found a “parasite” in that day, as her brother found one in a blueberry.
She added two more on-screen captions mentioning the different ways you should wash your produce. The video pans to show a bowl of produce and water in Elise’s sink as she begins to pour apple cider vinegar over it.
According to Elise, you can properly wash your produce by using baking soda, apple cider vinegar, and water, or ⅔ of a cup of white vinegar with half of lime and 1 gallon of water. “We’re choosing to do it today as apple cider vinegar, baking soda, and water,” she says.
As she mixes the bowl of produce, the contents fizz together, and she reminds viewers once more, “You need to wash your produce; parasites are everywhere.”
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Some viewers were skeptical
“This makes me wonder how many larvae accidentally get eaten every time we have fruit,’ one viewer said in the comments section of Elise’s video.
However, another questioned, “Wouldn’t the apple cider vinegar and baking soda just neutralize each other?”
“Vinegar OR baking soda,” another agreed. “Using both at same time zeros them out.”
Should you use vinegar or baking soda to clean produce?
According to WFMY News, the pro to soaking your fruits and veggies in water with a little bit of vinegar is that the vinegar reduces the bacteria levels.
“Use apple cider or white vinegar for a 10-15 minute soak. Then rinse the fruit well,” it suggests.
If you use baking soda, “besides not having any kind of vinegar smell or taste lingering,” the wash will help remove pesticides.
What if you use both?
“Mixing baking soda and white vinegar is not the be-all, end-all cleaning solution,” cleaning company Samyx Cleaning explains. “Used separately, both substances are great,” but combined, they will cancel each other out.
Do you have to wash produce at all?
It’s important to wash your produce before consumption as you may ingest bacteria like Salmonella, E.coli, and Listeria otherwise. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service states that these bacteria can lead to illness, with symptoms including fever, headaches, and more.
The Daily Dot reached out to Elise via TikTok comment and direct message.
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