Wash Fruits and Vegetables

Do you know where your potatoes, oranges and tomatoes have been? Unless your fruits and vegetables are organic, they grew up in fields covered in pesticides and herbicides. Although the pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables are considered to be at safe levels for human consumption, do you really want those extra chemicals on your food?

Once your fruits and vegetables were ready for harvest, they were handled by several different pairs of hands in the fields and orchards, then in the warehouses, and finally again in your grocery store. Bacteria such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. Coli may all be lurking on your fruits and vegetables, whether they are organically grown or conventionally grown. These bacteria all cause food-borne illness and need to be washed away from your produce.

You need to get those fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, but not the insects, chemicals and bacteria that come along with them so make sure you wash your fruits and vegetables before you eat them.

How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables

• Start by keeping your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.

• Always wash your hands before preparing meals and handling fruits and vegetables.

• Keep fresh greens, fruits and vegetables away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.

• Choose healthy looking, ripe fruits and vegetables when you shop. Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy produce.

• Wait until just before you eat or prepare your fruits and vegetables to wash them. Fruits and vegetables have natural coatings that keep moisture inside, and washing them will make them spoil sooner.

• Wash all pre-packaged fruits and vegetables, even if the label claims they are pre-washed.

• Wash all parts of your fruits and vegetables, even if you don't plan on eating them. Bacteria can live on the rind of an orange or the skin of a cucumber, for example. Though you may peel them away and toss them in the trash, the bacteria can be transferred from the outside of the fruit or vegetable to the knife you use to cut them, and then onto the parts you will be eating.

• Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don't use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals. These chemicals will leave a residue of their own on your produce.

• Commercial sprays and washes sold for cleaning vegetables really aren't any better than cleaning thoroughly with plain water, so don't waste your money on them.

• Firmer fruits and vegetables, such as apples and potatoes, can be scrubbed with a vegetable brush (buy direct) while rinsing with clean water to remove dirt and residues.

• Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.

• Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Remember that the fruits and vegetables you buy may look clean when you pick them out at the grocery store, but you can't see bacteria or chemicals. Your fruits and vegetables still need to be washed before you eat them or serve them to guests or family members. This is especially important for produce and greens that are eaten raw.

_Sources:

"5 A Day: Tips: Washing Fruits and Vegetables." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. <http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5ADay/tips/washing.htm>

Phillips CA, Harrison MA. "Comparison of the microflora on organically and conventionally grown spring mix from a California processor." J Food Prot. 2005 Jun;68(6):1143-6.

Stolpa, D. "Wash Fruits and Vegetables - Why and How." University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2001. <http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ779.html>

Zander, A. "Washing Fruits and Vegetables." Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Boulder County. June 30, 2000. <http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/columncc/cc000630.html>