Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Handling Guidelines

Food Quality & Food  Safety

Food distributed to clients must be safe and of good quality. good quality food tastes, smells, looks good and is often nutritious. The goal of good food handling is to provide both safe and good quality foods.
 
Keep it Clean
Germs or bacteria can get into food during handling. Keep hands, work surfaces , utensils and refrigeration clean. Wash hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds to remove germs or bacteria before handling fresh produce. Never handle raw meat before fresh produce without sanitizing the work station and one's hands. If this is not done, what is called "cross contamination" can occur. Cross contamination is what can cause food related illness.
 
Refrigerator Tips

• Keep the refrigerator temperature between 34* and 40*. It would be wise to keep a thermometer in the refrigerator and check it on a regular basis.
  

• Open the door as little as possible. Every time the door opens, warm air enters which can raise the inside temperature of the refrigerator. Constant door opening can increase electricity costs.
  

• Keep any raw meat, poultry 0r fish on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator-this will eliminate dripping on to produce or other products stored in the refrigerator.
  

• Cut or sliced fruits or vegetables should always be refrigerated.
  

Handling Fresh Produce

Handling Fresh Produce
1. After receiving produce, sort fresh fruit and vegetables by quality and level of ripeness.
2. Do not wash produce. Washing introduces extra moisture that can cause spoilage.
3. Follow the "First in, First Out"(FIFO) rule. This means the oldest produce is used first. Labeling produce with dates will help with inventory control.
 
Distribution of Produce
Tell Clients or Agencies to wash produce prior to use, under running water and scrub with a brush or their hands. Do not soak produce in water since this can cause spoilage. Dry the washed produce with clean paper towels or air dry.
 
Holding Produce at Room Temperature* Some Fruits and vegetables can be stored at room temp until ripe. These include apples, apricots, avocado, bananas, cantaloupes, cassava, honeydew melons, kiwi, mango, nectarines, peaches, pears, plum, tomatoes, watermelon, winter squash, pumpkin, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions, most of these can be stored at 55*-65* for extended periods-up to 10 days.
Fully ripe and over ripe produce should be used first
Discard moldy produce and anything badly bruised or with large soft spots
Produce with some spots, soft areas or bruises can be used for cooked items
Produce that can be stored at 45* to 50* include basil, snap beans, cucumber, eggplant, okra, peppers, summer squash, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, pineapples and tomatillos. It is best if they are not stored in a closed room without ventilation where a gas (ethylene) will develop and ripen the produce at a faster pace.

• Get Moving-Get Healthy, Rutgers University Publication