Can You Get Sick from Eating a Bad Avocado?

Avocados are a very popular fruit full of nutritious goodness. They are smooth and creamy and transform plain recipes to five-star levels. Rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, avocados lower the rate of heart disease. 

Other health benefits of eating avocados include reduced risk of obesity and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion and hair,  and weight moderation.

However, avocados are highly perishable and easily go bad. You may end up eating guacamole only to realize later that the avocado had actually gone bad. 

So, will you get sick if you eat bad avocado?

Absolutely! You can get sick from eating a bad avocado. Bad or rotten avocados may contain salmonella or listeria that are usually harbored within the edible parts of the spoilt fruit. These pathogens cause food poisoning and can make you sick.

So, how can you tell a good avocado from a bad one? Read on to find out.

How to Tell if Avocado is Bad Inside

There are a few tips you can use to tell if an avocado is bad inside without having to cut it open. Here are a few:

If Avocado is Brown Inside is It Bad?

Avocados have an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase which, when exposed to air, makes them turn brown. 

This is perfectly normal and the avocados are safe to eat. If the browning is not appealing, you can gently scrape it off with a knife and eat the rest of the avocado.

Can You Eat Brown Avocado?

Depending on the extent of the patches, a browning avocado may or may not be safe to eat. If the browning is caused by a reaction to air exposure, the avocado is safe to eat.

If the browning is widespread with dark or black patches, it is best to trash the avocado.

Spoiled Avocado Pictures

A brown discoloration inside a ripe avocado fruit is as bad as a black discoloration.

How to Tell if Mashed Avocado is Bad

You can check your avocado mash by smelling it. A sour and unpleasant smell means the avocado is bad. Additionally, the mash should be soft to the touch and shiny on the surface. 

If not, it is best to discard it. To keep mashed avocado fresh for longer, add some lemon juice and store in an airtight container. Store it in the fridge and use it within 2 to 3 days.

Are the Strings in Avocado Safe to Eat?

The strings in avocados are referred to as vascular bundles. They bring nutrients and water from the roots and stem of the tree to the fruit. Once the fruit has matured, they reduce in size. 

The size varies with different varieties of fruits, with some avocados ending up stringier than others. Strings are perfectly safe to eat and do not affect the taste or nutrient composition of the avocado.

What Happens if You Eat Bad or Rotten Avocado?

Listeria and salmonella are common causes of food poisoning from bad and rotten avocados. The bacteria is transferred from the peel to the fleshy inside during cutting. 

This is why it is advisable to wash your avocados before cutting. A bad or rotten avocado will make you sick with food poisoning.

Avocado Food Poisoning Symptoms

The symptoms of avocado food poisoning mimic those of any other case of food poisoning including nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. 

If any of these symptoms manifest, you should see a doctor before the pain and discomfort escalates.

How Do You Keep Avocados from Turning Brown?

Avocados turn brown pretty much the same way apples turn brown when you leave them in the open. Once cut open, avocados start to slightly brown as they react with air through the process of oxidation. 

The enzyme polyphenol oxidase that’s found in avocados reacts with the oxygen and starts covering the avocado in a brown layer. 

This is why the part of the avocado just under the pit stays green while the rest of the green parts turn brown. It is because the pit protects that layer from the oxygen in the air.  

It follows then that to keep the avocados from browning, the easiest way is to minimize the exposure to air. Once cut, place in an airtight container or wrap the cut avocado in cling film. 

Read Also: What Gives Passion Fruit Its Unique Taste and Smell?

How to Pick a Good Avocado

Picking that perfect avocado that is just at the right stage of ripeness can be difficult. You can’t tell just from the outward experience. 

Here are some tips to pick a good avocado;

1. Checking the Color

Generally, bright green avocados are usually not ripe. This is always true for varieties such as Haas avocados, 

For other types of avocados, the green color does not change whether it is ripe or not. For these types, an easy way to tell a ripe avocado is to go for the darker green to almost black avocadoes. Those are almost always ripe.

2. Check the Degree of Firmness

Another way to tell the ripeness of the avocado is by checking the firmness of the fruit. Hold the avocado and gently press. If it yields, it is ripe. 

The harder it feels, the longer it will take to ripen. For a larger purchase of avocados, you can choose different degrees of firmness so they can last you a few days. This method is very accurate. 

Even experienced pickers can easily predict how many days it will take an avocado to ripen just by pressing it.

3. Check the Attached Stem

Additionally, you can use the stem of an avocado to check its quality. Peel back the stem at the very top of the fruit. 

If it reveals a green area underneath, it is good to buy. If the area is brown, the avocado is overripe. Black color means that the flesh inside is moldy.

Check out this YouTube video for more tips on picking the right avocado.