Do You Really Need to Wash Fruits and Vegetables?

Fruits, vegetables, and other foods journey from farm to table and are exposed to countless people, places, substances, and surfaces before ever reaching our mouths. It would only make sense that everything brought home from the grocery store be thoroughly washed and sanitized.

Although produce comes from the ground, it depends on how it’s grown and harvested, it can have dirt on it and other bacteria and is usually just displayed at grocery stores for anyone to touch. From a food safety standpoint, experts say it’s not necessary to wash all foods. That in fact washing some foods can actually increase the risk of contamination and illness. To clear up and confusion we have a breakdown of dos and don’ts of food washing.

Rules for washing produce

Do rinse fruits and vegetables under running water. After harvest produce gets sorted, delivered and put on display at the grocery store. During the process many hands and surfaces are encountered. So before consuming fresh produce, remove any torn or bruised party and rinse under running water to remove germs and dirt.

Do scrub hard produce with a clean brush. Foods like potatoes or apples can be scrubbed to thoroughly remove dirt from the exterior, as rinsing alone may not reach.

Do dry rinsed produce on a clean surface. Taking a clean cloth or paper towel on a clean surface to avoid recontamination.

Don’t wash produce labeled “prewashed” or “ready to eat.” It is already safe to eat. Just make sure the product doesn’t encounter unclean surfaces.

Don’t use soap to clean produce. The USDA does not recommend any type of detergent on fruits and vegetables because it can leave behind a film that is not intended to be consumed.

Don’t soak produce. Soaking may remove the germs initially, but the now-tainted water can decontaminate your produce.