Are You Handling Your Food Safely?

Fresh fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, but even the healthiest foods can pose a risk if they aren't handled, stored or prepared safely. From the grocery store to the kitchen table, a few simple food-safety habits can help protect you and your family from foodborne illness. We spoke with RENEW Program Registered Dietitian Mikka Ipra, RDN, to get the basics on keeping food safe.

BUY WHOLE FRUITS & VEGGIES

One of the best ways to get the healthiest produce is to pick out each fruit and vegetable yourself. It may take a moment longer, but you know what you're getting.

“When you're looking for the best fruit and vegetables, I tell people to look for the 3 Fs,” says Ipri. “You're looking for produce that's fresh, you’re looking for produce that's firm, and you’re looking for produce that’s fully intact.”

• Fresh: the fresher the produce, the less time there has been for bacteria to contaminate it.
• Firm: healthy produce should be reasonably firm to the touch, not so mushy that it feels like it’s going to collapse in your hand.
• Fully Intact: the skin or rind is what protects fruits and vegetables from insects and infections. Bruises and cuts make great spots for bacteria to grow.

This doesn't mean that people shouldn't get bagged salads or pre-cut fruits and veggies, Ipri says. There's no hard and fast rule against it. "But when food has been processed, including chopping prior to packaging, you're introducing more unknowns and there's a higher chance of cross contamination," she says. "So best practice is to buy it whole and prepare it yourself."

PROPERLY CLEAN & WASH ALL PRODUCE

Cleaning and washing your fruits and vegetables before prepping and eating isn't very hard and only takes a minute, still plenty of folks don't do it properly or consistently. Here are some quick tips to help the whole family avoid food poisoning.

Remove Outer Layers
When prepping leafy or layered greens like lettuce, cabbage, brussels sprouts and green onions, remove the outer leaves/layers before washing and preparing. It's a super-simple first step that can dodge a lot of nasty stuff.

Wash All Produce
This doesn't need to be a production and you don't need any special tools; washing with water is good enough. "It's actually the mechanical action of rubbing your hands against the fruits and the veggies that removes most bacteria and dirt," Ipri says. "We don't want to use soap because it can be absorbed and then we are eating it."

Be extra thorough with things like blackberries and raspberries, that are covered in nooks and crannies where bacteria and dirt can hide. Still, gently rinsing and rubbing should be enough.

Wash Before Chopping
Even if you’re not going to eat the outer layer, say on an onion, a melon, or a banana, it's still best to rinse it off first, as you could theoretically transfer some bacteria from the outside to the inside as you cut into it.

WHAT ABOUT CYCLOSPORA?

You simply can't clean the parasite out of your produce. The only thing you can do is cook it.

According to the CDC, the safest way to cook cyclospora parasite out of your food is to make sure your food reaches an internal temperature of at least 158°F (70°C).

It’s easier than you think.

“If you're sautéing or roasting your veggies or your fruit - berry compotes have become really popular - that roasting or sautéing is going to bring those vegetables and fruits to a high enough temperature,” Ipri says.

KEEP CALM & CARRY ON

With frequent headlines about food recalls and outbreaks, it's understandable that shoppers may have questions about what's safe to buy and serve their families. But there's no need to avoid fresh produce altogether, Ipra says. Instead, simple precautions, such as thoroughly cooking vegetables, can help reduce the risk of food-borne illness while keeping nutritious foods on the menu.