After covid everyone is highly precautioned about washing fruits and vegetables before eating them, but how important is it? According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, washing your produce under running water can prevent you from becoming infected with food-borne illnesses like norovirus, which is the country’s leading cause of disease outbreaks from contaminated food.
Also, rinsing your produce ensures that you are not eating physical dirt, pebbles, insects and other lingering debris. Produce can also pass through a lot of hands before it gets to your kitchen, so a good rinse will eliminate germs from others.
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However, running fruits and vegetables under water for a few seconds is like taking the tip of an iceberg. The truth is to thoroughly clean your fruits and vegetables you should know the proper procedure. Read on to know more:
How Long Should You Wash Fruits And Vegetables That Are Porous?
Fruits and vegetables that are porous have tiny holes through which liquid or air could pass. Fruits like cantaloupes and strawberries, and vegetables like green onions and bean sprouts, are considered porous. These should be run under cool water for 10 to 20 seconds.
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Normally, running these types of produce under cool water is enough to do the trick, but cantaloupes and strawberries are very porous, which means they can pick up more contaminants.
To clean strawberries thoroughly, run berries under vigorous running water to get them as clean as possible. Cantaloupes should be washed with a scrubbing brush and other firm produce can be too like other melons and cucumbers.
How Long Should You Wash Fruits And Vegetables With Peels?
For fruits that have smooth peels, like watermelons and apples, you do not need more than 10 seconds under cool water. Use your hands or a cloth to gently wash off any possible contaminants. Even if you decide to peel a fruit like an apple, the skin should still be washed beforehand.
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Some produce should not be washed until right before eating, like most berries, since their quality starts to degrade, they are washed.
For produce where the whole peel comes off, like oranges or bananas, a rinse is not even necessary because the tough outer peel makes it difficult for bacteria to pass through.
Do You Always Need To Wash Fruits And Vegetables?
Washing and soaking reduce but do not eliminate pesticide residue levels. Peeling your produce, when appropriate, can reduce pesticide residues more effectively than washing alone.
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A study by Nutrients 2020, suggests organic produce contains lower levels of pesticide residue compared to conventionally grown produce. There is not much research, however, about if there are measurable health benefits to choosing organic produce. You must wash both organic and conventional fresh produce before eating it.
Other Safety Tips
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under cold running water and then dry it thoroughly. Make sure you scrub firm produce like cucumbers with a clean produce brush.
- Choose fruits and vegetables that are not bruised or damaged.
- Do not wash fruits and vegetables with detergent, commercial produce wash, or soap, they can absorb those products, making you sick.
- Keep fruits and vegetables away from raw meat, poultry, and seafood in your grocery cart and refrigerator.
- Never place salad or fresh produce on an unwashed plate or surface that previously held raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs.
- Store pre-cut and highly perishable fresh fruits and vegetables (e.g., berries, melon, and lettuce) in the refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower.
- Use separate knives and cutting boards for raw produce and raw meat while preparing food.