I know fresh produce is healthy, but I worry about its safety. Should I?
The short answer: Not if you follow a few food safety practices
The explanation: While fresh produce is a healthy part of a balanced diet, there are a few food safety practices that can help keep you and your family safe.
What is the risk?
Harmful bacteria can be in soil and water and contaminate the fruits and vegetables that grow there. Produce can also be contaminated during harvest, storage, or preparation. Thus, raw produce can cause foodborne illness, particularly if safe practices are not implemented.
How can you protect yourself?
Purchase Carefully
- Select items that are not bruised or damaged.
- Only purchase pre-cut, bagged, or packaged produce that are refrigerated or in ice.
- Always bag fresh fruits and vegetables separately from raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Store Properly
- Store perishable produce (e.g., strawberries, lettuce, herbs, and mushrooms) in the refrigerator set no higher than 40°F.
- Refrigerate all produce that is purchased pre-cut or packaged.
- Follow recommended temperatures for other produce safety and quality.
Prepare Safely
- Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.
- Avoid rinsing produce prior to storage as moisture can accelerate microbial spoilage.
When ready to eat, rinse produce:
- Thoroughly rinse under running water before preparing and/or eating, whether purchased from a grocer or farmers’ market or grown at home.
- Do not use soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash. Produce is porous so it can absorb these and make you sick, even if thoroughly rinsed.
- Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is important to thoroughly rinse produce so dirt and bacteria don’t transfer from the surface when peeling or cutting.
- Dry with a clean towel to further reduce any bacteria on the surface.
- Don’t rinse prewashed produce because re-rinsing can cause contamination. Check the package label to see if item is pre-washed.
- If cutting produce:
- Use separate cutting boards for fresh produce and for raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Or wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between preparation of the two.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rotten.
- Clean cutting boards with hot, soapy water or in the dishwasher after use.
- If cooking produce:
- Although thorough cooking kills harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of illness, all the above steps should still be taken prior to cooking.
