cleaning produce

[McMurphy_RP]

I tend to have a sensitive stomach in Mexico, so I'm careful about soaking produce in Microdyn before I eat it. (In restaurants I do the best I can to avoid anything raw and take my chances on occasion.)

I wish that I felt able to buy fruit on the street and eat it. Does anybody know if there's some kind of easy-to-carry spray, something like that, that I could use to disinfect produce on the run?

[philyrossy]

I buy bananas, oranges, etc. and peel them and eat them when I am out. Also, a good peeler would be handy. :)

[Jzmackenzie]

Yes, there is an easy to carry organic spray that can be purchased at Viva Organica in SMA (San Miguel de Allende). It is called Citri Power, comes in a small spray bottle that I always keep at home and in my office. 250 ml for $57.

[McMurphy_RP]

What about the peeled, cut fruit that's sold on the street? Any opinions about whether it's safe for stomachs of extranjeros? Has anybody ever had stomach problems that might have been related to that?

[jesm]

We frequently enjoy the fruit cups and mixes sold by vendors all over. Never any issue, and we don't have cast iron tummies. If the concern begins with impure watering or other other external hygiene factors, losing the peel does the trick.

[McMurphy_RP]

Many thanks for the reply. I've heard that there can be cross-contamination if the same knife and/or cutting surface that is used to peel and cut the fruit has also been used to cut unwashed fruits and vegetables. I don't know if that's realistic or alarmist, but it's comforting to know that you've never gotten sick from the mixes sold by street vendors.

[philyrossy]

Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet or just forget all food outside the home. I have seen street vendors sneeze and cough on their cut fruit, drop some on the ground and pick it up and put it back in a cup to sell, use the bathroom not washing hands and touch their fruit, etc. Whatever you can imagine actually does happen. Many times we don't get sick from these things, sometimes we do. Life is full of choices. Good luck.