Avocado has become a breakfast staple over the past few years, with everyone from Jennifer Aniston to Chrissy Teigen sharing their love for the fruit. However there have been calls for safety labels to be put on the fruit due to a rising number of people being rushed to hospital after preparing their meal, in an injury that has been dubbed 'avocado hand'.
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The British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons has said they want labels to be placed on the fruit, offering directions on how to cut them safely. Many people have been left with long-lasting and even permanent damage to nerves and tendons after slipping with the knife while slicing their avocado, often requiring surgery to repair the damage.
Jamie Oliver shared his tips for avoiding 'avocado hand'
Simon Eccles, secretary of the association and former president of the plastic surgery section of the Royal Society of Medicine told The Times that he treats around four patients a week with 'avocado hand' at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London. He added: "People do not anticipate that the avocados that they buy can be very ripe and there is minimal understanding of how to handle them."
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The injury appears to be a worldwide phenomenon, and even left Meryl Streep with her hand in bandages while she was promoting her film Hope Springs in 2012. So what is the safest way to slice an avocado? According to Jamie Oliver, the majority of injuries occur when people attempt to remove the stone from the avocado. In a video released on his YouTube channel the celebrity chef advised people to place the avocado on the work surface while preparing it and remove the fruit with a spoon instead of a knife.The father-of-five also said that if you do decide to use a knife, it is actually better to use a sharp one rather than a blunt knife as you will cut through the fruit easier and be less likely to slip with it.
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