Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Juices: Handle Them Safely!

SILVER SPRING, Md., July 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresh fruits and vegetables are highlights of summertime. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reminds you that safe handling of produce and fresh-squeezed juice is especially important because these foods are often consumed raw. Some foodborne-disease-causing germs multiply faster in warm weather - making food safety more important as temperatures rise.

Learn more:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm114299.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm110526.htm

To prevent food poisoning (also called foodborne illness) and keep nutritious produce and fresh-squeezed juices safe, follow these food safety tips:

Buy Right

• Purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged.
• When selecting pre-cut or fresh-cut produce (such as a half a watermelon or bagged salad greens that have been cut), choose items that are refrigerated or on ice.
• Keep bagged produce separate from raw meat, poultry, and seafood in your cart and shopping bags.

Wash Thoroughly

• Wash produce under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking, and dry with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce disease-causing germs that may be present.
• Even if you plan to peel a fruit or vegetable, it’s often beneficial to wash it first so dirt and disease-causing germs aren’t transferred from the outside to the inside.
• Scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
• For pre-packaged produce, read the label - if it says pre-washed and ready-to-eat, you can use it without further washing.

Prevent Cross Contamination

• Always wash hands before and after preparing food!
• Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with soap and hot water between the preparation of raw meat, poultry, and seafood and the preparation of produce that won’t be cooked.
• When using plastic or non-porous cutting boards, wash them in the dishwasher after use.

Prepare Safely

• Cut away damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating.
• Discard produce if it looks rotten.

Store Properly

• Keep perishable fresh-cut produce in a clean refrigerator at 40° F or below.
• Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood separately from produce in the refrigerator.
• Always refrigerate produce that is purchased pre-cut or peeled.

Check Your Juice

• Young children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems (such as transplant patients and individuals with HIV/AIDS, cancer, or diabetes) risk serious illnesses or even death from drinking juices that haven’t been pasteurized or otherwise treated to control disease-causing germs.
• Look for pasteurized or otherwise treated products in your grocers’ refrigerated sections, frozen food cases, or in non-refrigerated containers, such as juice boxes, bottles, or cans.
• Untreated juices sold in refrigerated cases of grocery or health food stores, cider mills, and farmers’ markets must contain a warning label indicating that the product has not been pasteurized. Warning labels are not required for juice or cider that is fresh-squeezed and sold by the glass. If you are unsure if a juice product is pasteurized - be sure to ask!

Contact: Media: 1-301-796-4540 Consumers: 1-888-SAFEFOOD (toll free)

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SOURCE U.S. Food and Drug Administration