Eating a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables provides important health benefits, but it's important that you select and prepare them safely. Vegetables and fruits are low in calories, fat, and sodium but rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting phytochemicals. A diet may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, obesity, birth defects, high blood pressure, cataracts, diverticulosis, and osteoporosis also help protect from some cancers. (https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/) (https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/) (https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/) (https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/) Eating fresh fruits and vegetables every day is important in maintaining good health. In addition, choosing vegetables, fruits, nuts, and other produce over high-calorie foods can help to manage weight. However, fresh produce can sometimes be a source of foodborne illness. Since fresh fruits and vegetables are not cooked, anything that is left on them after they come into contact with other things will be consumed. This includes micro-organisms in organic manure and in the water used for irrigation and initial rinsing, microbes on the hands of the people who pick the produce, the containers and vehicles used to store and transport it, and droppings from birds that fly over the field. But sometimes raw fruits and vegetables contain harmful germs, such as Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria that can make the consumers sick. The safest produce is cooked; the next safest is washed. Enjoy uncooked fruits and vegetables while taking steps to avoid foodborne illness, also known as food poisoning. Outbreaks of foodborne illness have been caused by sprouts, melons, tomatoes, and lettuce contaminated with harmful bacteria. Sprouts are a particular concern because the warm, humid conditions needed to grow sprouts also are ideal for germs to multiply. Therefore, eating raw or lightly cooked sprouts may lead to food poisoning. It's especially important to avoid raw sprouts.

Anyone can get a foodborne illness, but these groups are likely to get sick and to have a more serious illness:

• Children younger than age 5
• Pregnant women
• Adults aged 65 and older
• People with weakened immune system are particularly at risk from foodborne illness.

Many people also have concerns about pesticides on the surface of fruits and vegetables. Contamination with harmful bacteria and viruses is a far greater threat to health. Eating contaminated produce can lead to foodborne illness, often called "food poisoning". Getting your daily dose of fruit and vegetables is a great way to keep the doctor away, but how can you ensure that it is safe to consume? Here we take a look and follow these safe handling tips to help protect you and your family.

Safety and Safe Preparation: Washing fresh produce before eating is a healthful habit. You can reduce and often eliminate residues if they are present on fresh fruits and vegetables by following these simple tips:

• When preparing any fresh produce, begin with clean hands.
• Wash your hand, kitchen utensils, and food preparation surfaces, including chopping boards and countertops, before and after preparing fruits and vegetables.
• Clean fruits and vegetables external before eating, cutting, or cooking.
• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after preparation.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in lots of clean running water before eating.
• Peel and discard outer leaves or rinds. Thoroughly scrub vegetables if you want to eat the skin.
• Use a vegetable brush and water to scrub items with tough skin, such as melons, apples, or carrots, before cutting and serving raw. Smaller, more delicate fruits, such as berries, are easily rinsed in a colander thus limiting the potential damage.
• Thorough washing removes harmful bacteria, viruses, and residues left on the surface
• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas before preparing or eating.
• Dry fruit or vegetables with a clean paper towel.
• Keep fruits and vegetables separate from raw foods, such as meat, poultry, and seafood.
• Refrigerate fruits and vegetables you have cut, peeled, or cooked within 2 hours (or containing fruits and vegetables 1 hour if the outside temperature is 90°or warmer). Chill them at 40°F or colder in a clean container.

Precautions:
Do not wash fruits and vegetables with bleach or soaps - it can absorb into the product and change the taste. Baking soda contains sodium which may affect the flavor of the produce. The strength of baking soda and water mixtures affects its cleaning ability

Wax coatings are used on some produce to keep in the moisture and keep good quality. Wax coatings are safe to eat. Remove the wax by scrubbing with a produce brush under running water.

Cover dishes made with cut fruits and vegetables. Leave prepared fruit salads and other cut produce in the refrigerator until serving. Discard these items if they have been out of the refrigerator for more than four hours.

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops with hot soapy water and sanitize after cutting fresh produce, Don't cross-contaminate. Use clean cutting boards and utensils when handling fresh produce. If possible, use one clean cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fresh fruits and vegetables before preparing and/or eating. Throw away any produce that looks rot

Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended.

Even if you do not plan to eat the skin, it is still important to wash produce first so dirt and bacteria are not transferred from the surface when peeling or cutting produce.

After washing, dry produce with a clean cloth towel or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present on the surface

Foodborne Illness Symptoms
Consuming dangerous foodborne bacteria will usually cause illness within 1 to 3 days of eating the contaminated food. However, sickness can also occur within 20 minutes or up to 6 weeks later. Although most people will recover from a foodborne illness within a short period of time, some can develop chronic, severe, or even life-threatening health problems.Foodborne illness can sometimes be confused with other illnesses that have similar symptoms. The symptoms of foodborne illness can include: Vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, and body ache.

What can consumers do to reduce the risk of illness if they want to eat sprouts?

• Wash sprouts thoroughly under running water before eating or cooking. Washing may reduce bacteria that may be present, but it will not eliminate it.
• Cook sprouts thoroughly. Cooking kills harmful bacteria and reduces the risk of illness.

Pesticide residues left on fruits and vegetables?
Keep in mind that the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables outweigh the possible presence of pesticides. If there is any pesticide residue on the fruit or vegetable, it should be under the regulations and safe to eat. A lot of the pesticides are water-soluble and will come off with water, which is another reason to wash fruit and vegetables before you eat them.

Is it necessary to dry produce after washing it?: Drying produce with a paper towel may further reduce bacteria that may be present. Drying is not necessary for items that will be cooked. Greens leafy vegetables like spinach etc. should be cooked wet as drying them may affect the quality of the cooked product.

Food Safety Hazards: The Causes
In general, the risks to food safety fall into three broad categories which are, in order of decreasing significance:

• Microbes that proliferate in many different foods if they are not handled properly
• Parasites transmitted through meat and fish when they are improperly cooked and/or preserved
• Chemicals which occur naturally in food substances and those which are in the environment

The Consumer's Role in Safety Practices
Throughout the food chain, farmers, food processors, retailers and others utilize numerous procedures based on long experience to ensure the quality and safety of food. Collectively, these procedures are known as "good agricultural practices" and "good manufacturing practices."

While these practices have contributed significantly to food safety, it should not be forgotten that food comes from animals, plants and trees, all of which form part of the natural environment where potentially harmful micro-organisms and chemicals occur naturally.

Consequently, it is essential that anyone preparing food - whether in the home, in a restaurant, at a roadside stand, at a convention or social event or anywhere else - follows "good hygienic practices". However, these require a basic understanding of the sources of microbes capable of contaminating food, what allows these microbes to multiply to dangerous levels and how they can be eliminated.

Good Hygienic Practices: Fruit and Vegetable Safety: A Shared Responsibility
In addition to the role of ensuring food safety at home, the consumer can also play an important role in public places. There is a need to practice informed observation and report defects whether they occur in the wide variety of retail stores or in public places where people eat: restaurants, hospitals, public fairs and fetes, social events, conventions, meetings, roadside snack bars and cruise ships to name but a few. The look, feel and smell of fresh produce is often a good measure of its quality and safety. All participants in the food chain are anxious to ensure the quality and safety of the food they produce and sell.

Basic Precautions: Today, extensive precautions are taken throughout the food chain to ensure the safety of food. However, because food comes from animals, plants and trees, all of which form part of the natural environment, potentially harmful micro-organisms and chemicals occur naturally. It is very important that the consumer understands and follows basic precautions set by professionals working in the different stages of the food chain when purchasing, transporting, storing, preparing and consuming food. Good hygienic practices both in the home and outside can protect everyone against microbial contamination and the foodborne diseases caused by it

Understanding Food Safety: Food hazards, including germs and chemical contaminants, can enter the food supply at any point from farm to table. Most of these hazards cannot be detected in food when it is purchased or consumed. In addition, a food itself can cause severe adverse reactions in people who are allergic to it. It is important for people to understand how their behavior and activities contribute to the safety of food and how they can decrease the risk of foodborne illness. From processes on the farm to practices in the kitchen, human activities play an important role in food safety. We face many challenges in keeping our food safe.

Following four simple steps External at home - Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill - can help protect our loved ones from food poisoning.

Why it matters: Illness-causing bacteria can survive in many places around your kitchen, including your hands, utensils, and cutting boards. Unless you wash your hands, utensils, and surfaces the right way, you could spread bacteria to your food, and your family.

Why is it important to eat vegetables and fruits?
Eating vegetables and fruits provides health benefits - people who eat more vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables and fruits provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

Nutrients

• Most vegetables and fruits are naturally low in fat and calories. None have cholesterol. (Sauces or seasonings may add fat, calories, and/or cholesterol.)
• Vegetables and fruits are important sources of many nutrients, including potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C.
• Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain healthy blood pressure. Vegetable sources of potassium include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, white beans, tomato products (paste, sauce, and juice), beet greens, soybeans, lima beans, spinach, lentils, and kidney beans. Fruit sources of potassium include bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, and orange juice.
• Dietary fiber from vegetables and fruits, as part of an overall healthy diet, helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and may lower risk of heart disease. Fiber is important for proper bowel function. It helps reduce constipation and diverticulosis. Fiber-containing foods such as vegetables help provide a feeling of fullness with fewer calories. Whole or cut-up fruits are sources of dietary fiber; fruit juices contain little or no fiber.
• Folate (folic acid) helps the body form red blood cells. Women of childbearing age who may become pregnant should consume adequate folate from foods, and in addition 400 mcg of synthetic folic acid from fortified foods or supplements. This reduces the risk of neural tube defects, spina bifida, and anencephaly during fetal development.
• Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections.
• Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keeps teeth and gums healthy. Vitamin C aids in iron absorption.
• Vitamin C is important for growth and repair of all body tissues, helps heal cuts and wounds, and keeps teeth and gums healthy.

Start your day with fruits and vegetables. Add more vegetables to every meal for you and your family members. Drink more water. Eat more beans for healthy fiber.