How to Wash Food to Prevent Lethal Outcome

While restaurants are facing criticism for how they handle lemons in drinks, I would dare say that food borne illness goes further than that.  Concerns should stem to how ALL UTENSILS and FOOD (including, fruit and vegetables) are being handled within every area of the restaurant.   It is not up to the customer to put the multiple controls put into place, but the Managers and employees themselves to ensure that the consumer does not return home with nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or death.

Simple washing of food can be done with items that you have in your home right now, without purchasing a special “produce washing” product.  Cleansing of the fresh produce should not be limited to water, but instead can be done with the following. The best practice to put into place within your homes so that you keep yourself and family healthy and protected are:

Fruits and Vegetables with skins

  1. Use the same amount of soap that you would use for hand washing.  Completely wash the skin of fruit or vegetable with soap and water.  RInse thoroughly.
  2. In a large bowl, place desired produce to be cleaned, pour 1/2- 1 cup white vinegar over items into bowl.  turn food in vinegar to allow for thorough cleansing, about 10-20 seconds. Rinse with water.

Green Leaf Vegetables and Berries

  1. 1 Tbsp baking soda to 2-3 cups of water.  Stir. Allow shredded or whole lettuce, or whole berries to stay in solution for about 20-30 seconds. Rinse thoroughly.

Utensils should never be dipped in water to for cleaning.  ALL UTENSILS MUST ALWAYS be washed with hot soapy water to remove bacteria:

  1. Between cutting meats, fish and any other food.
  2. Before passing from one food to another food that contain nuts: Peanut Butter, Pesto, Ice Cream Cakes.  Cross contamination is lethal to those with food allergies and can result in death of individual.

This article is written to enforce the importance of HEALTHY EATING within homes and restaurants. Furthermore, individuals are having severe allergic reactions within restaurants and homes, due to improper cleansing of utensils between foods, especially those containing nuts and foods without nuts.

By: Kim Crocker