Flourish with Food: Just Wash It

How often do you rinse a banana or a carrot before peeling? How often do you scrub that apple before taking a bite? When you begin to prep fresh produce, how often do you begin with clean hands?

There is considerable research that proves the safety of both organically and conventionally grown fruits and veggies is accomplished by simply washing under cool or warm running tap water. This simple step helps to reduce and often eliminate dirt, bacteria and residues.

A favorite website for safely handling fresh produce offers steps that follow FDA guidance. The key messages:

• Clean hands with soap and warm water before preparing produce.
• Work with clean surfaces and preparation kitchen tools - always after preparing raw meat, poultry and seafood.
• Cut away damaged or bruised areas before preparing fresh produce. If rotten, toss!
• Remove and discard outer leaves of leafy vegetables, like cabbage and lettuce.
• Wash with cool or warm running before preparing and eating. Scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush.
• Even if the skin or peel is not eaten, wash first to prevent transferring dirt or residue to cut surfaces.

For produce, such as grapes, berries, grape tomatoes, cilantro and parsley, submerge in a bowl of tap water. Swirl multiple times and drain. Repeat at least once more.

FDA emphasizes to NOT use hand soap, detergents or household cleaning wipes to sanitize.

Prewashed produce does NOT need to be washed again – a welcomed timesaver.

Cleaning and sanitizing cutting boards is essential. Many techniques, including a very diluted bleach solution, are found on the Internet. A reliable source from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: https://www.eatright.org/food/home-food-safety/wash-and-separate-foods/cutting-board-safety

I personally use Farberware’s plastic cutting boards that are nonporous and non-absorbent. They are easily cleaned (stains removed) and sanitized with Clorox Cleaner + Bleach. Instructions state to use on nonporous surfaces. Leave on 30 seconds and rinse well.

How did you do answering the three questions at the beginning of this article? My action goal is to purchase a brush just for produce.