Wash produce

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WASH PRODUCE

From the New York Times:  http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/17/dining/17WELL.html

The Kitchen Faucet Is a Vegetable's Best Friend

By MARIAN BURROS

Published: December 17, 2003

NLY in New York would a stranger walk up to a woman about to pop a grape from a produce display in her child's mouth and say, "Don't do that!" The mother retreated, but the busybody's point was well taken. Produce should be washed before being eaten. Only recently has it become clear that fruits and vegetables have been responsible for about as many reported cases of food poisoning as beef, chicken, fish and eggs combined.

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In the 1930's, when sanitation was the watchword, no baby's bottle that fell on the floor was put in the baby's mouth without a sterilized nipple replacing the old one. Everything that went in your mouth was scrubbed within an inch of its life.

But because Americans have long been confident that food was clean and safe, precautions like washing fruits and vegetables have sometimes gone by the boards. And many assume that because packaged, precut salads say triple-washed on the label, they are safe to use straight out of the bag.

Food scientists say all produce, including triple-washed salads, should be thoroughly washed with water. But this does not mean they recommend using produce washes like Fit, Veggie Wash and Organiclean.

Dr. Donald Schaffner, a professor of food science at Rutgers, said the products were more effective than water alone but that he did not use them. "In my house, we wash things carefully," he said. "I don't personally see a benefit to buying these products."

A study by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois compared vegetables contaminated with shigella that had been washed with Fit to some that had been washed only with running water. "We found Fit was pretty similar to water alone on shigella," said Dr. Meredith Agle, the lead researcher. "I just wash my fruits and vegetables with water because in either case you see about a tenfold reduction in bacteria."

Fit, once sold by Procter & Gamble, is now licensed to HealthPro Brands. Todd Wichmann, president and chief executive officer of HealthPro, said liquid Fit made no antibacterial claims. "Fit makes your produce feel better in your mouth, and makes produce smell better and makes it taste better. It is not really a safety issue with liquid Fit."

But, he added, a powdered form of Fit will be introduced soon that he said will kill 99.9 percent of the bacteria on produce. Because it contains ingredients the Food and Drug Administration says are safe, neither the product nor its claim require the agency's premarket approval, said Dr. George Pauli, associate director for science and policy in the office of food additive safety at the F.D.A. The agency has not tested Fit for efficacy and does not recommend the use of a produce wash that makes antibacterial claims.

Like liquid Fit, Veggie Wash and Organiclean do not claim to kill bacteria. Veggie Wash removes wax and soil "better than water does," said Steve Barker, a vice president for sales for the manufacturer.

Dr. Mike Doyle, a professor of microbiology and director of the Center for Safety at the University of Georgia at Griffin, said he saw problems in the way precut salads are sometimes made: some processors take off the outer leaves and core the lettuce in the field, exposing the inner leaves that will be eaten to more bacteria.

Ken Hodge, the spokesman for the International Fresh-Cut Produce Association, said the industry was dealing with the problems. "If processors are following food-safety guidelines, they are substantially reducing the risks of any kind of contamination," he said. "We regulate ourselves, and I think we've done an excellent job."

The scientists say that to protect all but the most vulnerable people, washing vigorously with running water is key.

Firm produce (apples, pears, peppers) should be scrubbed with the hands under running water. Fragile fruits such as berries should be rinsed with a sink sprayer, using a colander so the fruit can be tumbled. If a sprayer is not available, berries and soft fruits should be placed in a colander and immersed in warm water and swished three or four times, and the water should be changed twice more or until it runs clean.

Root vegetables and tubers should be sprayed with water first and then scrubbed with a vegetable brush. Produce should be washed just before serving, not before storing; dampness increases spoilage.

Outer leaves of leafy vegetables should be removed before washing. All greens should be washed in the coldest water possible to maintain crispness.

Damaged or bruised areas should be cut away immediately because bacteria thrives in them. The produce should then be refrigerated immediately.

Fruits and vegetables with rinds, like melon and squash, should also be washed. When fruit is cut, bacteria on the surface can be transferred to the flesh.

For people with weakened immune systems ? the elderly, the very young, those with cancer, liver disease and AIDS ? cooking fruits and vegetables is recommended.