topic Re: Fresh produce in Wellness

Fresh produce

Newgate — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 03:31:59 GMT

Should we be afraid of fresh produce carrying this virus? I always wash my produce but will that alone kill this virus?

Re: Fresh produce

on the bay — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 03:49:41 GMT

@Newgate -

Jeez I hadn't though of that but also haven't been to the store in a while

and the last time I bought anything fresh was before we all were really thinking about it.

Now, I think of everything that could have the virus so that is a good question!

Re: Fresh produce

Mominohio — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 04:23:45 GMT

this has been a question I've been asking myself for weeks. It has me staying out of the stores right now, and I'm almost all out of fresh produce. I'm struggling with whether or not to go get more. Leaning toward not.

Re: Fresh produce

lovinglife — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 04:46:58 GMT

From unitedfresh.org

KEEPING FOOD SAFE

There is no evidence that fresh produce (or any other food, or other product/material) can transmit the coronavirus/COVID-19. The FDA directly addresses food safety concerns at the bottom of their FAQ page here where they answer your questions about the people who are in contact with the food you are consuming before it comes into your possession.

United Fresh Produce Association, in conjunction with our industry partners at the Produce Marketing Association and FMI, the food industry association, have jointly stated:

“There are no clinically confirmed cases of COVID-19 linked to the consumption of fresh produce or food sold through traditional retail outlets. As consumers select their produce, adhering to food safety guidance is critical. We encourage consumers to wash their hands, and wash and prepare their produce following FDA recommendations.”

Personal hygiene and sanitation practices have long been a critical part of food production. As a member of the Partnership for Food Safety Education, we’re sharing this guidance for keeping yourself, your surfaces and your food safe.

Re: Fresh produce

jellyBEAN — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 11:44:12 GMT

If you're not buying organic produce, no worries. Our fruits and vegetables are already contaminated w/pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antimicrobials, etc....

Like I said, no worries.

Re: Fresh produce

SilleeMee — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 12:11:52 GMT

You can fill your sink with water and add bleach. Add 1/2 cup of bleach to every gallon of water. Place your produce into the bleach solution for 10 minutes and that will disinfect it. Rinse well.

I did this for a friend who was severely immuno-compromised. My friend could not eat food which had any germs on it. I had to disinfect other items in the house, too using the same diluted bleach.

If you just want to sanitize the produce do this:

How To Make A Chlorine Bleach & Water Solution To Sanitize Raw Fruits And Vegetables

2 teaspoons Regular Bleach
1 Gallon of clean water. Let fruit or vegetables stand in solution for at least one minute

Re: Fresh produce

FlowerBear — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:39:19 GMT

wondering myself this too. i have been getting frozen vegetables and fruit and hope they will not be sold out!

Re: Fresh produce

FlowerBear — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 13:40:10 GMT

@SilleeMee i have never used bleach this way and would be afraid to

Re: Fresh produce

SilleeMee — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 14:19:13 GMT

@FlowerBear

Most, if not all, produce goes through a sanitizing process before it gets put on the shelves at the stores. That sanitizing usually involves a bleach solution. Without that we would be in trouble. However, sanitization does not mean 'sterile' and produce can still harbour germs.

You should even be rinsing off your frozen fruits and veggies before eating them, especially if you are not going to cook them.

Re: Fresh produce

wagirl — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 14:30:57 GMT

I scrub ALL my hard rind veggies/fruit with dishsoap under hot water for years--all melons, apples, citrus, beets, carrots, spuds----and many more that are tough skinned----hadn't really thought about the bleach soak for the others but I will start doing that now---just gotta rinse very well--should be fine and safer----

Re: Fresh produce

wagirl — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 14:34:20 GMT

@SilleeMee---you should explain the difference between--sanitizing and disinfecting things----read a very good article about the differences but have no idea where I read it, monkey brain from being cooped up for a week , I guess---never knew that difference myself---

Re: Fresh produce

D Kay — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 14:36:16 GMT

I read on WEB MD website to NEVER us bleach on produce. They also discouraged use of a produce "wash" or soap because of the residue they leave behind.

Re: Fresh produce

SilleeMee — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 14:48:47 GMT

@wagirl wrote:
@SilleeMee---you should explain the difference between--sanitizing and disinfecting things----read a very good article about the differences but have no idea where I read it, monkey brain from being cooped up for a week , I guess---never knew that difference myself---

Disinfecting means killing nearly 99% of the germs.

Sanitizing only reduces the numbers of germs by killing some but not all of them.

Most healthy people would not need to disinfect food. Sanitizing or simply rinsing and drying it off is effective. However, some people who are severely immunosuppressed need to have their food disinfected for obvious reasons. I have done that for my friend in the past.

Bleach is commercially used to sanitize produce before it is put on the store shelves. If you've ever opened a sealed bag of carrots or other bagged veg, you might get a whiff of bleach.

@wagirl

Re: Fresh produce

GrailSeeker — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 15:37:01 GMT

To remove bacteria and pesticide residue, vinegar and/or salt water solution works well and is safe to consume. Or you can rub baking soda on the fruit or vegetable and rinse that off.

https://www.goodnet.org/articles/5-super-simple-ways-to-get-pesticides-off-your-produce

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-remove-pesticides-from-produce-organic-2017-11

Re: Fresh produce

SeaMaiden — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 16:16:30 GMT

produc hopefully you rinse it etc..... clean it.

Unless someone sneezes or coughs or spits all over your lettuce, which hopefully is NOT the case... produce is no more unsafe than it was prior to this pandemic.

Re: Fresh produce

GrailSeeker — Thu, 26 Mar 2020 17:13:50 GMT

@SeaMaiden wrote:
produc hopefully you rinse it etc..... clean it.

Unless someone sneezes or coughs or spits all over your lettuce, which hopefully is NOT the case... produce is no more unsafe than it was prior to this pandemic.

I caught my son eating an apple that had not been rinsed. I told him that I had not rinsed those apples and he should at least rinse it off. He said "Coronavirus!", trying to be funny. I said "it could be a lot of other stuff, too!"

Re: Fresh produce

Gracies Mom — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 21:24:36 GMT

Personally, I would only buy fresh produce if I was going to cook it--that will kill the virus if it's there---but eating fresh produce raw right now (like in a salad)--no thanks. People have their hands all over the fruits & veggies picking the ones they want. I will buy tomatoes (when the prices come down) because I make sauce out of them--I will buy produce that is wrapped--like the whole lettuce in the store I shop at--but otherwise, nope. I will not clean anything I eat with bleach. I did hear that using baking soda and water does the trick (and is safe), but it's only heresay to me.

I only buy frozen veggies for now--but that's me.

Re: Fresh produce

Tessa Mendoza — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 23:05:35 GMT

We have been buying fresh produce and veggies. I rinse everything well, as I always have. I really don't think the virus is attached to any of it by the time it gets to us, if it ever even was. I understand those with compromised immunity might think differently and take addional precautions.