It seems that we are hearing about more and more cases of food poisoning.  The source of the problem is even coming from foods that we previously may not have considered a likely cause of food poisoning. The latest outbreak of salmonella from tomatoes resulted in more than 20 people needing to be hospitalized.

Salmonella is one of several organisms or pathogens that can cause food poisoning. The symptoms are similar to the flu and for healthy people will last for only a day or two.  However, food borne illness can be much more serious in young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.

Since you can’t smell, taste or see these pathogens in food, how do you prevent them from causing food borne illness?  There are some steps that you can take.  Take the following quiz to see how well you know the facts for handling produce properly.  More than one answer may be correct.

1. How long should you wash your hands before and after handling produce?
   
   1. Long enough to get them wet
   2. Twenty seconds under running water
   3. There’s no need to wash hands
   4. Twenty seconds with warm water and soap
2. What steps can you take when buying fruits and vegetables?
   
   1. Select whatever is on the shelf 
   2. Leave damaged or bruised items on the shelf
   3. Buy only cut produce that is refrigerated
   4. Buy only organic produce
3. When should cut, peeled or cooked fresh produce be put in the refrigerator?
   
   1. It doesn’t matter
   2. No more than 20 minutes after it’s been prepared
   3. Within 2 hours of preparation
   4. Up to 4 hours after preparation
4. What are the guidelines for  throwing out fresh fruits and vegetables
   
   1. When in doubt about its safety, throw it out
   2. If it’s not been refrigerated for more than 2 hours after cutting, peeling or cooking, throw it out
   3. Remove and throw away bruised portions of produce before cooking or eating raw
   4. Throw away any fruit or vegetable that has touched raw meat, poultry or seafood, if you are not going to cook it
5. Produce should be kept separate from which of the following?
   
   1. Raw meat, poultry and seafood
   2. Household chemicals
   3. Dairy products
   4. Cutting boards used for raw meats if not cleaned with hot soapy water
6. What should you do with produce that has touched raw meat, poultry, seafood or their juices?
   
   1. Serve it
   2. Throw it out
   3. Cook it and then serve it
   4. Rinse with cold running water
7. How should you clean raw fruit and vegetables?
   
   1. Nothing, produce is not a cause of food poisoning
   2. Use a special produce wash
   3. Wash it with cold running water while gently rubbing or scrubbing
   4. With bleach or detergent
8. Do you need to wash packaged produce labeled “ready to eat” or “washed”?
   
   1. No
   2. Yes
9. How should you clean cutting boards, counter tops, peelers and knives?
   
   1. With bleach
   2. With antibacterial soap
   3. With hot soapy water
   4. With plain water

Look at the answers below to find out if you know how to practice safe handling of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Remember these 6 steps to safer fruits and vegetables

1. Check for bruised or damaged fresh produce and unrefrigerated cut up produce 
2. Clean—wash hands and surfaces often.  Rinse raw fruits and vegetables.
3. Separate raw meats, seafood and poultry from fresh produce
4. Cook fresh fruits and vegetables if they touch raw meat, seafood or poultry
5. Chill fresh produce with 2 hours of cutting, peeling or cooking
6. Throw out bruised or damaged portions or if it is in contact with raw meat, seafood or poultry

More details on food safety can be found at www.fightbac.org or www.foodsafety.gov.

Quiz Answers

1. d
2. b & c
3. c
4. a, b, c & d
5. a, b & d
6. b or c
7. c
8. a
9. c