We know food safety is on everyone’s mind right now. Fruits and vegetables provide us with so many important nutrients, but sometimes they contain things like bacteria or parasites that can make us sick. Keeping food safe can prevent foodborne illnesses. This is particularly important when cooking for children, the elderly or others with compromised immune systems.
One important part of food safety is washing produce. In our Cooking Matters for Kids classes, we start the food safety conversations early. One of the first activities is asking kids to count how many people may touch a fruit or vegetable before it gets to their table (e.g., the person who picked it in the field, placed it in a crate, packed it in the truck, put it on the store shelf, etc.). We help them consider each step in the process of moving produce from field to fork.
As adults, it’s important to remember this, as well. Some fruits, vegetables and herbs are harder to clean and might require separating leaves, removing outer leaves of things like lettuce, or soaking to ensure they are thoroughly cleaned. Here are tips from the CDC that you can take to prevent contamination from the current parasite Cyclosporiasis, as well as other foodborne illnesses related to fresh produce:
Wash
- Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after handling or preparing raw fruits and vegetables.
Prepare
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking.
- Fruits and vegetables that are labeled “prewashed” do not need to be washed again at home.
- Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.
Store
- Refrigerate cut, peeled, or cooked fruits and vegetables as soon as possible (within two hours).
For additional information, follow these steps from FightBAC, or check out this resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And if you’re looking for delicious, nutritious summer recipes, check out our Recipe Explorer!
