Fruits and vegetables are often eaten raw, without cooking to destroy pathogens. Thus they are potential sources of food-borne illness. People need to know how to keep raw fruits and vegetables safe to eat. According to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), you should wash raw fruits and vegetables very well before you peel, cut, eat, or cook with them. In the home, follow these simple tips:

• Wash hands with soap and water
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables with large amounts of cold or warm tap water.
• Rub fruits briskly with your hands to remove dirt and surface microorganisms
• For fruits with thick skin, (e.g. carrots, melons and squash) use a vegetable brush to help wash away hard-to-remove microbes.
• Put fragile produce in a colander and spray it with water.
• Do not wash fruits with soap or bleach solutions as they can by absorbed.
• Clean your counter top, cutting boards and utensils after peeling produce and before further cutting.

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For more information on proper ways to wash fruits, visit the following sites: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-pes4.html
http://www.extension.umn.edu/info-u/nutrition/BJ779.html
or visit www.suagcenter.com.

Contact:
Southern University Ag Center, Bridget Udoh, Ph.D. at (225) 771-2262 or bridget_udoh@suagcenter.com