Green Onions and Hepatitis A
Green onions were the source of the largest documented foodborne hepatitis A outbreak in U.S. history and also the source of several other hepatitis A outbreaks. A study published in the Journal of Food Protection found that the hepatitis A virus can contaminate the inside of a green onion (1). This poses a serious problem because once hepatitis A has contaminated the inside of a green onion, the hepatitis A can not be washed off. The only way to kill the virus would be by cooking the green onion.
The study concludes that more needs to be done by the government to ensure that green onions are not contaminated by the hepatitis A virus. We agree, however, as consumers, we should be cautious when using green onions, particularly imported green onions. If an elderly person or anyone with a weakened immune system is going to eat the green onions, it may be best to cook them and refrain from using raw green onions as garnishes.
Source:
1. Chancellor, David D., S. Tyagi, M. Bazaco, S. Bacyinskas, M. B. Chancellor, V. M. Dato, F. de Miguel, "Green onions: Potential mechanism for Hepatitis A contamination," Journal of Food Protection, vol. 69, no. 6 (2006): 1468-1472.