The raw facts on cleaning produce

Food-related illness is often blamed on exotic or imported produce, but 75% of the fruits and vegetables that cause outbreaks are grown in the United States. The rise is due mainly to increased consumption of raw foods like salsas and salads, reports the Center for Food Safety Engineering at Purdue University (West Lafayette, Indiana). Foods that grow close to the ground, such as lettuce and strawberries, are particular risks because they're more likely to be exposed to manure from soil or irrigation runoff.

Here's how to kill surface bacteria on your favorite fruits and veggies:

* Rinse all produce--even the kind you buy packaged and those with skins you plan to peel--under running water for 60 seconds.

* Soak firm produce like apples in diluted vinegar for at least 15 minutes, then rinse with water.

* Drop very firm produce like asparagus, or those with thick skins like oranges, into boiling water for a few seconds.

COPYRIGHT 2003 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group