Eating clean shouldn’t be this dirty.
Even if they appear clean on the outside, store-bought fruits and vegetables are teeming with filth, as one disgusted mom and her followers on TikTok have learned.
Amy Hinch has gone viral on TikTok by demonstrating just how scuzzy produce can be, revealing the murky water left behind after washing foods such as grapes, blueberries, spinach and broccoli.
In one clip — which has over 28 million views since it was posted two weeks ago — viewers watch as a bowl full of red grapes are soaked and cleaned, using an ultrasonic produce cleaning machine.
After seven minutes, the water in the bowl had turned a murky color as flecks of grime could be seen floating throughout the mixture.
“This is what we eat,” she says in shock from behind the camera. “This is so freaking nasty. We need to watch what we eat.”
In the caption, Hinch added that she had to wash the grapes twice before the water came out clean.
Thousands of shocked users flooded Hinch’s post with comments, revolted by the disquieting discovery.
“OMG, I had no idea… I just give them a quick rinse under the sink,” one user wrote.
“Buying this machine ASAP,” said another.
Yet some steely TikTokers were unperturbed by the icky outcome.
“[I don’t care] I’m still eating it,” one user shared, with another consumer of unwashed produce declaring, “I’m not dead yet.”
“OMG dirt??? On a fruit??? That grows outside??? Insane,” another mocked.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing fruits and vegetables before eating, cutting or cooking — unless the package indicates that the contents were watched prior to packing.
According to the health agency, whole fruits and vegetables should be scrubbed gently under running water, even if the peel is ultimately discarded as germs from the skin can contaminate the flesh while the produce is being cut and prepped for cooking and eating.