Canadians enjoy a wide variety of wholesome, fresh fruits and vegetables all year long. They are an agricultural product grown in a natural environment.
Canadians enjoy a wide variety of wholesome, fresh fruits and vegetables all year long. They are an agricultural product grown in a natural environment.
Recently several incidents of food-borne illness have been traced to raw fruits and vegetables. Fresh produce may get contaminated with bacteria, parasites and mould as well as soil or compost or by a food handler. And, because fruits and vegetables are frequently eaten raw, there is no opportunity for cooking to kill pathogens. So it's necessary to handle fresh fruits and vegetables with the same care as other perishable foods.
• Choose produce carefully at the supermarket. Select fresh, undamaged, firm fruit and vegetables with no signs of decay or spoilage. Then handle produce with care to prevent bruising.
• Avoid fruits and vegetables that show any signs of mould. Mould is like a plant. What you see is like the flower. What you don't see is the stem and root system which may lurk within the fruit or vegetable, beyond your sight. Some moulds produce mycotoxins which can cause immediate illness or may be carcinogenic.
• Buy only the amount you can use before the fruits and vegetables pass their peak of ripeness and quality. Check the ‘Best Before Date’ on packaged salads, pre-peeled and cut potatoes, carrots and other pre-cut fruit and vegetables.
• Pre-cut fruit and potatoes should be sold from refrigerated display cases. Select these items near the end of your shopping so they are at room temperature for as short as time as possible.
• Be sure meat juices don’t drip onto produce in your shopping cart.
Fruits and vegetables should always be washed before eating, peeling, cutting or other preparation. Any dirt, bacteria or mould on their surface can be carried to the inside by a knife.
• Rinse fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cool running water. Use enough water to loosen the dirt and bacteria and wash them away. Be sure the water gets into the crevices of berries.
• Use a vegetable scrub brush to gently scrub produce with rough surfaces such as cantaloupe, citrus fruit, potatoes or squash. Throw away outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage.
• Soak leafy green or dense vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts in water for a few minutes to dislodge dirt then rinse thoroughly under running water. Soap, chlorine and vinegar washes can leave residues and should not be used. Special produce washes remove chemical residues which may remain on the produce, but they do not kill bacteria or moulds. Once washed, don't return produce to its original packaging. Although packaged lettuce and spinach, may be labeled ‘pre-washed’, washing it again will make sure no residue remains.
• Wash hands thoroughly with warm soapy water before and after handling produce.
• Use a clean cutting board; wash after use.
• Always use a clean knife and other utensils. • Refrigerate fruits and vegetables when necessary. All cut fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated. If they are left at room temperature for more than four hours, throw them out.
• Prevent raw juices of meat, poultry and fish from dripping onto produce in your refrigerator.
• Discard produce that is beyond its ‘Best Before Date’.
• Remove mouldy produce from your refrigerator or storage bin to prevent mould spreading to other food; wrap carefully and discard.
• If a small area of a fruit or vegetable is damaged or has mould on it, cut off the spot plus one inch around and under it and discard. Discard produce that looks slimy, mouldy or smells bad.
For more information, contact the Food Safety Info Line at 1-800-892-8333.
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2024 Calgary’s Child
