Best practices for vegetable safety
You don’t need to stop eating vegetables; you just need to handle them right.
Rigorous cleaning measures are never optional: Wash them under running water right before you prep them. For things with tough skin, like potatoes or melons, give them a good scrub with a clean brush. Never use dish soap or commercial cleaners on produce. Plants are porous, meaning they will actually absorb those chemicals, FDA warns about this for a reason.
Maintain proper food temperatures: Promptly refrigerate all perishables below 40° F, and throw out any food that looks slimy, moldy, or abnormally discolored.
Watch out for cross-contamination. Keep raw meat completely separate from your produce, use dedicated cutting boards, and always wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
Handle cooked leafy greens properly: Do not store cooked leafy greens for extended periods or reheat them multiple times.
