Injuries spark innovation … but seriously?

‘Avocado hand’ accidents lead to pitless avocado

The avocado might just be the “It Food” of 2017. The fruit has grown increasingly popular, whether it’s spread on delicious avocado toast or mashed with some spices and turned into tasty guacamole.

The goodness that is avocado is no secret to Yuma — in our region, avocados have long been a grocery store staple.

And with that longevity, we’ve learned a lot along the way … how to select the perfect avocado, what qualities to look for, and, most importantly, how to slice into the fruit without mangling ourselves.

But apparently, that last bit of information isn’t getting around.

And now, due to “avocado hand,” a new avocado — the cocktail avocado — is available for purchase in the United Kingdom.

According to a NPR report, the cocktail avocado has no pit, making it safer for consumers to slice into.

Wait a minute. This is really an issue? Apparently so. NPR says that across the United Kingdom, “surgeons report increasing numbers of avocado-related injuries. And emergency rooms in London have reported surges in such accidents.”

The report notes “‘Avocado hand’ can result in surgery as a result of people causing serious nerve and tendon injuries. Such is the extent of this injury, it can require specialist reconstructive surgery, and at worse can leave you without full use of your hand, so it is a particularly concerning public health trend.”

In fact, the problem has grown so big that some medical groups are calling for warning labels on avocados to explain how to safely cut into them.

Who knew that cutting into an avocado could cause such injuries? But if one checks out YouTube, there are countless videos and tutorials on how to safely slice an avocado open. Maybe we’re oversimplifying this, but the process is pretty basic. Slowly cut the avocado lengthwise around the pit — slowly. Then twist the two halves until one side breaks off from the pit, and extract the pit (we recommend using a spoon to gently scoop it out — don’t whack it with a knife).

Then, scoop out the avocado meat, and slice it on a plate or cutting board.

Basically: take your time, cut slowly, and don’t sacrifice your hand.

It’s perplexing that “avocado hand” has become a thing, to the point that warning labels and cocktail avocados are even a discussion point. Frankly, if one can’t safely slice open an avocado, maybe one should consider eating other foods!