Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
dishwashing liquid, 27% used bleach, 19% used antibacterial soap, and 11% indicated
they washed with water only.
Food safety guidelines developed by the Partnership For Food Safety Education
(2006), enumerate four practices that consumers should follow to protect themselves
from bacteria and reduce the risk for foodborne illness:
1. Clean by washing hands and surfaces often.
2. Separate potentially hazardous foods from ready to eat, thereby preventing
cross - contamination.
3. Cook foods to proper temperatures.
4. Chill foods promptly and at the appropriate temperature.
Consumers do not always follow these Fight BAC recommendations. Between
13-70% report using the same utensils and/or cutting board without intervening wash-
ings between preparing raw meat or poultry and preparing ready to eat raw produce,
thereby risking cross-contamination (Altekruse and others 1996, 1999; Bruhn and
Schutz 1999; Cody and Hogue 2003; Food Safety Inspection Staff and others 2000;
Jay and others 1999; Klontz and others 1995; Li-Cohen and Bruhn 2002; Williamson
and others 1992; Yang and others 1998). Consumers may actually contaminate a food
preparation and serving surface, instead of cleaning it. In a 1,000-person survey, Cody
and Hogue (2003) found only 29% of respondents reported changing the kitchen
cleaning sponge or cloth daily or several times per week.
Washing Produce
Consumer respondents to survey questions about washing produce indicated that 81%
wash just before eating or cooking, 21% wash before placing produce in the refrigera-
tor, and 6% acknowledge that they seldom or never wash produce (Li-Cohen and
Bruhn 2002). The item washed least frequently is melon, with 36% indicating they
never wash this fruit. Many consumers thought it was not necessary to wash melon
since the rind is not consumed. Consumers also indicated they thought it unnecessary
to wash homegrown or organic produce. In actual practice, consumers may not wash
produce, even when it will be eaten raw. Anderson and others (2004) observed that
vegetable washing was inadequate. When preparing salad, 6% of 99 subjects made
no effort to clean vegetables, 70% rinsed lettuce, 93% rinsed tomato, 47% rinsed
carrots, and 55% rinsed cucumber. Rinsing times ranged from 1 second for lettuce,
cucumber, and carrot to 55 seconds for tomatoes, with an overall average of less than
12 seconds.
Consumers use different techniques to wash produce, such as peeling, rubbing with
hands, scrubbing with a brush, and, most commonly, washing under running water (Li-
Cohen and Bruhn 2002). As many as 20%, however, soak produce in a container. This
method is not recommended because contamination can be spread to other produce
items. Some consumers, 4%, indicated that they wash produce with dish detergent. This
method is not recommended either, because detergent residues can remain on the
product (FDA Talk Paper 2001; Food Safety Inspection Staff and others 2000).
Storage of Leftovers
Most consumers recognize that cut fruit should be refrigerated; however, some vol-
unteered that they stored cut melons at room temperature. When responding to the