Health and eating right

Keep Your Produce Safe
September.25 2009

Now That we are in the National Food Safety Education Month is a great time to reinforce proper food-handling techniques at home. With fruits and vegetables playing such a big role in healthful eating, it is important to practice proper buying, storing and preparation techniques to ensure the safety of your food. Most health risks that are linked to produce can be eliminated with proper food preparation like thorough cleaning. Below are more tips from the American Dietetic Association on safely shopping for, storing and preparing your fresh produce.



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 three to four 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.). Cooking them significantly reduces the risk of illness.