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I have seen a post on how to keep roaches, etc., away, but let's say I did see a cockroach on my kitchen counter, and it did crawl on surfaces and food (let's say, some avocadoes that were out, ripening, as well as some Nespresso capsules). What might be a good way of cleaning food like avocadoes that may have been contaminated by the cockroach, but that we would still like to consume safely, if possible? How about Nespresso capsules?

In both of these cases, we don't actually need to consume the surface (of the avocado, of the capsule ..) touched by the cockroach, but wouldn't like to spray any kind of toxic substance on them nevertheless.

I found, in this healthline article

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cockroaches carry bacteria that, if deposited on food, can cause salmonella, staphylococcus, and streptococcus.

and

According to the World Health organization (WHO), cockroaches have been known to play a role as carriers of intestinal diseases, such as dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid fever.

auspicious99
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    You mean other than just run it under the tap, same as any other fruit or veg you buy? The chances the roach was the only insect to ever walk over your fresh food are almost zero. See [Can I safely clean/eat harvested foods that have aphids on them?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/23573/can-i-safely-clean-eat-harvested-foods-that-have-aphids-on-them) – Tetsujin Jul 05 '21 at 10:21
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    Roaches, while unpleasant, are not crawling merchants of death. A rinse with water is all you need. – GdD Jul 05 '21 at 18:43
  • Haha, "crawling merchants of death".. I was thinking of the bacteria they may contain and spread. I'll edit the post and add some info on that. – auspicious99 Jul 05 '21 at 18:50

1 Answers1

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Fruits and vegetables are obviously natural products that are exposed to the elements, and a variety of insects and other wildlife during growing, harvesting, storing, packaging, and distribution. Whether the roach crawled across your avocado (for example) on your counter, or (potentially) the store room of your local market, matters little. For produce that has an edible exterior, I rinse well. Sometimes (depending on the product) submerge in a few changes of water (fresh greens, for example), and spin dry. For products with an exterior that doesn't get eaten, a quick rinse and wipe is probably all that is necessary.

moscafj
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