Emergency Departments Are Seeing Alarming Cases Of 'Avocado Hand'

Avocados; healthy, trendy, and potentially, deadly.

A report in today’s Times newspaper highlights the fact that UK A&E departments are seeing more and more cases of ‘Avocado Hand’ – instances where amateur chefs and home cooks are stabbing or slashing their hands while preparing the fruit. Indeed, so bad is this most ‘first-world’ of problems, that none other than The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons is calling for warning label on avocados highlighting the potential dangers.

Warning, contains big nut

The secretary of the association is quoted as saying: “People do not anticipate that the avocados they buy can be very ripe and there is minimal understanding of how to handle them. We don’t want to put people off the fruit but I think warning labels are an effective way of dealing with this. It needs to be recognisable. Perhaps we could have a cartoon picture of an avocado with a knife, and a big red cross going through it?”

Sadly, the dilemma isn’t a new one. The Guardian ran a feature on the issue way back in 2006, but ‘pre smashed avo instagram’, people refused to listen. Since then the problem’s only got worse – not only that – it’s spread globally. Last week the wife of a staffer at the New York Times was the latest victim, and had to be taken to ER after slashing her hand cutting an avocado. Here’s how they think you should prepare one.

Avocados down south, frozen burgers up north

Perhaps, like poor air quality and unaffordable housing, ‘avocado hand’ is an issue that, for the moment at least, seems confined to southern England and London. When Twitter user Caroline Page cut herself trying to open an avocado, she was treated at Lancashire Teaching Hospital. There, she was informed that this type of injury is normally seen by people trying to separate frozen beef burgers. Food just got a whole lot deadlier.

Treated for #avocadohand at @LancsHospitals who told me injury more commonly seen from separating frozen burgers. North/South divide? pic.twitter.com/OCvqp5qFvO
— Caroline Page (@Janeca75) May 10, 2017
Maybe the lesson here is that avocado is like a deadly vegetarian version of the Japanese puffer fish, fugu. And the preparation of smashed avo on sourdough is best left to hipsters, and not something to attempt at home. After all, why not eat out at 10 of London’s best restaurants with avocado on the menu, and let someone else take the risk? If you must play with fire, then at least get the 3 In 1 Avocado Slicer Skinner Fruit Peeler Scooper Pitter Tool!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.