Scrub-A-Dub Your Fruits and Veggies « MyMedicalForum MyMedicalForum

It’s important to eat a rainbow of fresh fruits and vegetables that not only help make you healthier, but might also help prevent disease – including cancer.

It’s also important that they’re clean. Very clean.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, nearly 48 million people are sickened by contaminated food and harmful germs each year. Surprisingly, fruits and vegetables can be tainted not only by pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers during the growing phase, but also by animal waste, unclean water and poor worker hygiene. Produce can even be tainted once in markets, through improper storage and during food preparation.

To celebrate National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Month, here are 12 tips on how to clean produce and ensure your delicious and nutritious fruits and vegetables are free of contaminants:

Shop at stores or markets that offer the freshest of produce
Buy local, seasonal produce, as shorter shipping times means less chemical sprays
Observe if displays are being misted often or bedded with ice
Select fruits and vegetables that are free of blemishes and bruises
Buy only enough produce that you can use in a few days
After purchase, transport selections in an ice chest or insulated carrier
Once home, thoroughly wash hands with soap and warm water before handling
Cut away any damaged areas before washing to prevent internal contamination from knifes
Spray with a produce wash and let sit momentarily
Use a vegetable brush to scrub produce that can tolerate the force
Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to prevent rot
Transfer to storage bags and refrigerate promptly at 40 degrees or colder

Which fruits and vegetables need the most cleaning?

While all produce should be properly cleaned before cooking or eating raw, some are more contaminated than others – most often due to chemical residues such as, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Others are more notably clean due to their growing process needing less chemical intervention or they have naturally protective outer layers.

Here are lists of the top 15 dirtiest and cleanest fruits and vegetables.

Top 15 Dirtiest