Keeping Your Produce Safe
Should one buy fruits or vegetables in season or out
of season? At the supermarket or from the farmers' market?
These are frequent questions that consumers often face
when purchasing fresh produce. Most health risks that
are linked to produce can be eliminated with proper food
preparation like cleaning produce thoroughly. Below are
tips from the American Dietetic Association to keep in
mind when shopping for your next bunch of grapes or head
of lettuce.
Buying
-
If you go to a farmers market, go early to avoid produce
that has been sitting out all day long
- Buy most produce in season when possible
-
If you are not satisfied with the store's selection,
ask the produce manager if there is more available
- Buy loose produce rather than packaged
- You have more control over what you select
- Don't purchase produce with mold, bruises or cuts
- Buy only the amount of produce that you will use within
a week
- Buy only pasteurized juices
Storing
- Promptly store produce that needs refrigeration
- Fresh, whole produce such as bananas and potatoes
don't need refrigeration
- Refrigerate fresh produce within two hours of peeling
or cutting
- Throw away leftover cut produce that is left at room
temperature for more than two hours
- Discard cooked vegetables after 3 to 4 days
Preparing
- Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables with cool tap water immediately before eating
- Scrub firm produce such as melons and cucumbers with a clean produce brush
- Remove and discard outer leaves of lettuce
- Use two separate cutting boards to avoid cross-contamination
- Use one for raw meats and the other for fruits and vegetables
- Color-coded cutting boards can help you remember which is which
- Cook raw sprouts (alfalfa, clover, etc.); it significantly reduces the risk of illness
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