New Zealanders consume a lot of avocados during the summer. From the “millennial favourite” avocado toast to guacamole, which was the most Googled recipe in 2021, the popular fruit is always in high demand.
However, it turns out that this harmless-looking fruit is also behind hundreds of accident claims every year, according to the ACC.
A record-high 626 Kiwis lodged an avocado-related claim in 2020, up from 525 in 2019 and fewer than 500 in 2018. From Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, 2021, there were more than 500 claims filed, ACC data showed.
Active claims costs for avocado injuries reached almost $680,000 in 2020, up from $392,000 in 2019. More than 25% of claims occurred in December or January – right in the middle of summer – and the ACC data showed that elderly Kiwis over 65 are most likely to get injured.
The most common claims were lacerations or punctures to the wrists, hands or fingers, with most injuries caused by people cutting themselves alongside the fruit, ACC injury prevention leader James Whitaker said.
“Each year, we get claims from people who have suffered a knife wound to their hand while taking the stone out of the avocado,” Whitaker said. “Some of these injuries can be nasty and take some time to recover from.”
This figure is likely to continue growing, as Kiwis love their avos. Earlier this year, industry group New Zealand Avocado reported that avocado sales have doubled over a five-year period – from $30 million in 2015 to $60 million in 2020.
