How to Reduce Your Risk of Food Borne Illness When Purchasing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

During the fall of 2006, an E. coli outbreak caused Natural Selection Foods to recall 34 brands it packaged bearing "Best if Used By" dates of Aug. 17 through Oct. 1 from across the United States. The deadly outbreak sickened at least 187 people and killed at least one in 26 states. Officials acted quickly to remove tainted produce from grocery store shelves and protect the public.

However, even without a known E. coli outbreak in progress, it is important for you to handle fresh produce and fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices safely in order to reduce the risks of foodborne illness. Incidents such as the E. coli outbreak during the fall of 2006 should not deter you from enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables, which are an important part of a healthy diet.

The tips in this article will help you to enjoy the wonderful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that are both nutritious and delicious that you'll find at your local grocery story while avoiding the risk of foodborne illness.

So if there isn't an active E. coli outbreak occurring, where does the risk of foodborne illness come from? Harmful bacteria may be in the soil or water where produce grows. It's possible for these bacteria to come into contact with the fruits and vegetables growing in the soil and contaminate them. It's also possible for fresh produce to become contaminated later in the manufacturing process, such as during preparation or storage.

It's also possible for you to inadvertently contaminate your own produce through something called cross-contamination, such as by storing meats with produce. In such a case, the bacteria from the meat could contaminate the fruit. Since you may not cook the fruit, the bacteria would not be killed and could make you ill.

The following 10 easy to follow tips will help to guide you when purchasing and handling fresh fruits and vegetables so that you can enjoy them safely while reducing your risk of foodborne illness.

1. Look for and purchase produce that is free from bruising and visible signs of damage.

2. Select fresh cut produce, such as melon slices, carrots or celery, that is refrigerated or surrounded by ice.

3. Keep meat, poultry and seafood products bagged separately from fresh fruits and vegetables.

4. Keep your refrigerator's temperature set to 40° F or below. Place a thermometer in your refrigerator to monitor the accuracy of its temperature setting.

5. Be sure to refrigerate pre-cut or peeled produce to maintain both quality and safety.

6. Wash all produce thoroughly before eating, even if you plan to peel it. Dirt and bacteria may be present on the peel of the produce. When you peel it, even though you are removing the peel, dirt and bacteria can be transferred to the inside of the produce, the part that you plan to eat. That is why you should thoroughly wash produce, even if you peel it.

7. Precut and bagged produce, such as lettuce and spinach are often pre-washed. If so, you can use this product with out further washing. However, you may wish to wash the produce again as an extra measure of caution. If the precut produce was purchased in a bag that was open, it should definitely be washed before using.

8. Discard any produce that looks rotten. If, however, there is only a slight damaged or bruised area on the produce, you may choose to simply cut away that area before preparing and or eating it.

9. Raw sprouts may contain bacteria that do not get removed upon rinsing. To reduce the risk of illness, cook sprouts thoroughly before eating.

10. To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, look for fresh fruit and vegetable juices that have been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. Those at risk for foodborne illness should not drink juice that has not been pasteurized unless it is brought to a boil first.

Sources:
Reuters. Most spinach is safe to eat, FDA says. October 1, 2006. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15067012/. Retrieved February 12, 2007.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices. November 3, 2005.http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/prodsafe.html. Retrieved February 12, 2007.