The FDA Warns Against Storing Avocados in Water After a Video of the Hack Goes Viral
Getty Images
We can learn a lot of things from the internet, including best cleaning practices, how to maximize closet storage, and how to cook just about anything. The newest online hack taking viewers by storm is videos of halved avocados stored in containers of water, which TikTok users say keeps the fruit from turning brown. The Food and Drug Administration recently weighed in, urging people to avoid partaking in the viral trend.
Users of the social media platform have posted videos informing viewers that storing a cut avocado in water will keep it from developing the layer of brown that typically forms when their flesh comes in contact with oxygen. One TikTok user tested out the trend by leaving half an avocado in a bowl of water over night. The next morning, the fruit still had its vibrant green color and the poster said it looked just as ripe as the night before and tasted great.
Related: How To Prolong the Life Of Your Ripe Avocado
However, a spokesperson for the FDA told Good Morning America that this method may be unsafe due to bacterial contamination, adding that they don't recommend the practice. "The main concern is with the possibility that any residual human pathogens (i.e. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., etc.) that may be residing on the avocado surface may potentially multiply during the storage when submerged in water," they wrote in a statement to the outlet.
Even if you wiped off the surface of the avocado or washed it with fresh water, the damage is already done. "In addition, research performed by FDA scientists has shown that Listeria monocytogenes has the potential to infiltrate and internalize into the pulp of avocados when submerged in refrigerated dump tanks within 15 days during refrigerated storage," they added. "In this case, even surface disinfecting the avocado skin prior to slicing would not be able to remove the contamination," according to the FDA official.
If you're looking for a safe way to store an avocado to keep it from browning, try drizzling a little bit of lime or lemon juice over its flesh and store it in an airtight container. The acidity will disrupt the production of the enzyme that turns the fruit brown.
