We have all heard that before using any fruits or vegetables, we have to clean them properly, and rinsing with water is one of the simplest and most commonly used practices for cleaning vegetables. However, it looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger does not follow this practice.

In an edition of his newsletter, Pump Club, the 7-time Mr. Olympia discussed the topic with a simple question, “Does Rinsing Protect Your Produce?”

“Rinsing removes dirt, grit, and pesticide residue, and it lowers the general bacterial load that’s a cause of most foodborne illness," said Schwarzenegger. "In general, water’s job is to dilute and remove. And for some foods, it is a great protective layer. For others, it doesn’t disinfect anything, and that distinction is why the contaminated lettuce is such a problem”.

The problem, as per Schwarzenegger's Pump Club newsletter, is a certain bacteria that does not wash away with rinsing.

“But using water to clean your lettuce is the wrong tool if you’re trying to remove cyclospora.”

Cyclospora is a genus of apicomplexan parasites that can cause cyclosporiasis.

Arnold also supported his claim with research by Tamirat T. Temesgen and the team. They coated blueberries and raspberries with parasites such as Cyclospora, Giardia, and Cryptosporidium.

“They washed the fruit three ways: a one-minute rinse, a vinegar solution, and a swish followed by a salad spinner,” said Schwarzenegger.

After washing, blueberries came clean, and nearly 94 percent of Cyclospora were removed.

According to the research, the texture of a vegetable determines how clean it can be after washing. This is because, when the researchers cleaned raspberries using the 3 methods, the results told a different story.

“A plain rinse pulled off about 35% of the Cyclospora, while stripping at least 80% of the other two parasites sitting on that same fruit," said Schearzenegger in his newsletter. "That's because raspberries are covered in tiny hairs and folds that a stream of water slides right past, and Cyclospora clings harder than the other two do. The two swishing methods did far better on that same fruit: medians of 84% and 89%."

Rinsing can remove the parasite, but it cannot kill it.

Now, what about vegetables like lettuce? According to CDC data in the US, nearly 1644 illnesses have been identified across 5 states linked to “shredded iceberg lettuce,” and 94 people were hospitalized.

So, what is the solution?

Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about the solution to avoid parasites in vegetables like lettuce

“If you're trying to avoid this bug, start with the outbreak itself,” said Schwarzenegger as per the same Pump Club newsletter.

According to the CDC, one can adopt the following steps:

• Skip shredded iceberg lettuce at Taco Bell in the five affected states. According to the FDA’s July 24 update, 9 states are affected. The states include Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
• Everywhere else, swish your loose produce in a bowl instead of holding it under the tap.
• If you need to or want to consume it, cook the greens over high heat to reduce the risk.

What are your thoughts on these cleaning methods?

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi