Show Written by Lauren Panoff, MPH, RD on June 5, 2020 — Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R.D., CDE, Nutrition
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a healthy way to incorporate vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants into your diet. Before eating fresh fruits and vegetables, it has long been a recommendation to rinse them well with water to remove any unwanted residues from their surfaces. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic, many headlines have been circulating that encourage more abrasive ways to wash fresh produce before eating it, making some people wonder whether water is enough. This article reviews the best practices for washing various fresh fruits and vegetables before eating them, as well as methods that are not recommended. Share on Pinterest Global pandemic or not, properly washing fresh fruits and vegetables is a good habit to practice to minimize the ingestion of potentially harmful residues and germs. Fresh produce is handled by numerous people before you purchase it from the grocery store or the farmers market. It’s best to assume that not every hand that has touched fresh produce has been clean. With all of the people constantly bustling through these environments, it’s also safe to assume that much of the fresh produce you purchase has been coughed on, sneezed on, and breathed on as well. Adequately washing fresh fruits and vegetables before you eat them can significantly reduce residues that may be left on them during their journey to your kitchen. SUMMARY While rinsing fresh produce with water has long been the traditional method of preparing fruits and veggies before consumption, the current pandemic has many people wondering whether that’s enough to really clean them. Some people have advocated the use of soap, vinegar, lemon juice, or even commercial cleaners like bleach as an added measure. However, health and food safety experts, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC), strongly urge consumers not to take this advice and stick with plain water (1, 2). Using such substances may pose further health dangers, and they’re unnecessary to remove the most harmful residues from produce. Ingesting commercial cleaning chemicals like bleach can be lethal and should never be used to clean food. Furthermore, substances like lemon juice, vinegar, and produce washes have not been shown to be any more effective at cleaning produce than plain water — and may even leave additional deposits on food (3). While some research has suggested that using neutral electrolyzed water or a baking soda bath can be even more effective at removing certain substances, the consensus continues to be that cool tap water is sufficient in most cases (3, 4, 5). SUMMARY Washing fresh fruits and vegetables in cool water before eating them is a good practice when it comes to health hygiene and food safety. Note that fresh produce should not be washed until right before you’re ready to eat it. Washing fruits and vegetables before storing them may create an environment in which bacterial growth is more likely. Before you begin washing fresh produce, wash your hands well with soap and water. Be sure that any utensils, sinks, and surfaces you’re using to prepare your produce are also thoroughly cleaned first. Begin by cutting away any bruised or visibly rotten areas of fresh produce. If you’re handling a fruit or vegetable that’ll be peeled, such as an orange, wash it before peeling it to prevent any surface bacteria from entering the flesh. The general methods to wash produce are as follows (3):
Once you have thoroughly rinsed your produce, dry it using a clean paper or cloth towel. More fragile produce can be laid out on the towel and gently patted or rolled around to dry them without damaging them. Before consuming your fruits and veggies, follow the simple steps above to minimize the amount of germs and substances that may be on them. SUMMARY Practicing good food hygiene is an important health habit. Washing fresh produce helps minimize surface germs and residues that could make you sick. Recent fears during the COVID-19 pandemic have caused many people to wonder whether more aggressive washing methods, such as using soap or commercial cleaners on fresh produce, are better. Health professionals agree that this isn’t recommended or necessary — and could even be dangerous. Most fruits and vegetables can be sufficiently cleaned with cool water and light friction right before eating them. Produce that has more layers and surface area can be more thoroughly washed by swishing it in a bowl of cool water to remove dirt particles. Fresh fruits and vegetables offer a number of healthy nutrients and should continue to be eaten, as long as safe cleaning methods are practiced. Last medically reviewed on June 5, 2020
This DIY Fruit and Veggie Wash is a simple way to naturally (and inexpensively) clean your fruit and vegetables. Just one simple ingredient! Thank you for being here! This DIY Fruit & Veggie Wash post has far exceeded my expectations, for which I am most grateful! So many have enjoyed, shared and pinned this post! Amazing! If you share this post, please do not alter or change my photos in any way. And please give credit where credit is due. We all work hard. 😉 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Also, please note that I will not be responding to comments on this post. Every question/discussion that has come up for this post has been answered/discussed in the comments section. Thank you for understanding 🙂 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – A simple 1 ingredient cleaner!I have been using this simple 1-ingredient cleaning method to wash my fruit and vegetables for years. It’s as easy as filling a sink with water and vinegar, then adding your fresh produce to soak. Inexpensive, easy and effective! How do I know my fruit and vegetables are clean?All you have to do is look at the water. It’s dirty. Brownish and with pieces of wax and debris from the produce. After soaking, why do some of my fruits and vegetables have a white layer on them?When you get produce from the market it’s always shiny, and the vinegar from this wash dissolves most of that shiny layer, and what you are seeing is just the remnants of that. Will my fruits and vegetables taste like vinegar?No. If you rinse well, there is no vinegar taste. Even in the berries. Let’s talk about berries.You can use this cleaning method to wash berries as well. You just can’t let them soak as long as you would apples or oranges. I will only soak mine for about 5 minutes or so. Rinse well. Fruit and Veggie Wash Tips:
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