Increase text size: A A A

Type in the condition you need,
or visit Advanced Search

Print this page

Email this to a friend

Comment on this page

Save to my Health Library

Johns Hopkins Health Alert

Easy Ways to Keep Vegetables Safe

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Nutrition and Weight Control | Easy Ways to Keep Vegetables Safe

Here are 10 practical tips to help you avoid foodborne illnesses while you enjoy your vegetables.

Meat, poultry, and eggs are not the only foods that can cause foodborne illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), contaminated vegetables (and fruits) also are to blame. Follow these guidelines for safe vegetable preparation from the CDC’s FightBac! campaign:

  • Vegetable guideline 1: Do not buy vegetables that are bruised or damaged. If blemishes or soft spots develop after buying, remove them before eating.
  • Vegetable guideline 2: Avoid precut vegetables or packaged salads that are not refrigerated.
  • Vegetable guideline 3: Wash your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds before and after handling fresh vegetables.
  • Vegetable guideline 4: Clean all surfaces and utensils (including cutting boards, countertops, peelers, and knives) with hot water and soap before and after using them to prepare vegetables.
  • Vegetable guideline 5: Rinse all vegetables under cold running water for two minutes. This includes vegetables that have skins you don’t plan to eat (such as cucumbers), since bacteria can travel from the vegetable’s skin to the flesh during cutting. Detergent and bleach are not necessary and could be harmful to your health if ingested.
  • Vegetable guideline 6: For potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables, scrub the skin with a clean brush while running under cold water.
  • Vegetable guideline 7: Should you wash bagged salads and other packaged precut vegetables that say “ready to eat” or “washed”? The CDC’s FightBac! campaign doesn’t mention anything about these products, but some food safety experts recommend washing them as a precaution. So the decision is up to you.
  • Vegetable guideline 8: Sprouts are another food not mentioned in the FightBac! campaign, but bacteria can grow inside sprouts and are difficult to wash out. We recommend that you always cook sprouts, and at restaurants and delis ask that sandwiches and salads be made without raw sprouts.
  • Vegetable guideline 9: Keep raw foods, such as meat, poultry, and seafood, separate from fresh vegetables -- in your grocery cart, in the refrigerator, and when preparing meals. In addition, use separate knives and cutting boards for vegetables and raw foods to prevent cross-contamination.
  • Vegetable guideline 10: Refrigerate all cut, peeled, and cooked vegetables within two hours. Vegetables left at room temperature for longer than two hours should be thrown out.

For more Alerts and Special Reports, please visit the Nutrition and Weight Control Topic page.

Johns Hopkins Health Alerts | Nutrition and Weight Control | Easy Ways to Keep Vegetables Safe

Posted in Nutrition and Weight Control on September 19, 2007

Notify Me

Would you like us to inform you when we post new Nutrition and Weight Control Health Alerts?

Your email address:

Comments

Post a Comment

Users and editors may post comments here at their own discretion. The views expressed do not constitute medical advice and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins Medicine or University Health Publishing, which has no responsibility for its content.




Post a Comment


New to the Johns Hopkins Health Alerts?
Signup

User Name:


This appears next to your comment.


Email Address:

(this will not be posted)
This will be your login ID.

Password:

Confirm Password:


Receive Health Alerts?

Notify me when new comments are posted?

Comment (offensive materials and/or spam will be removed, no HTML allowed)

Already a subscriber?
Login

Email:

Password:


Forgot your password?

Registered Users Log-in:

Email:

Password:

Remember me
Forgot Password?

Become a Registered User!
It's fast and FREE!
The Benefits of Being A Registered User

Health Topic Pages

Arthritis +Add
Back Pain & Osteoporosis +Add
Caregivers | Caregiving
Colon Cancer +Add
Complementary Medicine
Depression & Anxiety +Add
Diabetes +Add
Digestive Health +Add
Exercise and Fitness
Healthy Living +Add
Heart Health +Add
Hypertension & Stroke +Add
Lung Disorders +Add
Memory +Add
Men's Health
Nutrition +Add
Prescription Drugs +Add
Prostate Disorders +Add
Sexual Health
Vision +Add
Weight Control +Add
Women's Health
Health Alert Special Report


Get yours FREE: Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol

FREE Johns Hopkins Special Report: Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol

PLUS FREE Johns Hopkins
Heart Health Alerts!

YES! Send me my FREE Special Report and FREE Health Alerts.



Johns Hopkins’ Bestsellers

Nutrition and Weight Control

Our Featured Title:

Johns Hopkins Nutrition and Weight Control White Paper 2008

  • 2008 Nutrition & Weight Control White Paper
    Featured highlights for 2008 include: the alarming truth about trans fats that food manufacturers hope you never learn; forget what you’ve heard: Here are the REAL reasons Americans are too fat; the best way to rev up your aging metabolism to burn more calories; what everyday life is really like after bariatric (obesity) surgery; a whole new way of thinking about nuts, and why nut-eaters tend to weight less; nutritionists' shortcuts for getting the 2 to 4 cups of vegetables your body needs every day; and much, much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Better Health by the Plateful! through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION


    Related Titles:

  • 2008 Heart Attack Prevention White Paper
    Featured highlights for 2008 include: new research on inflammation as the cause of heart attacks; who’s a candidate for a stress test, and why it’s not for everyone; why doctors are debating metabolic syndrome, and its role in your risk of heart attack; when every minute counts: what to do first and fast in the event of a heart attack; are premium cholesterol tests better than the standard ones? Johns Hopkins doctors speak out; WARNING: medications that can raise your risk of having a heart attack; steps you can take NOW to reverse plaque build-up in your arteries; and much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Tested, Proven Ways to Save Your Heart through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION

  • 2008 Coronary Heart Disease White Paper
    This White Paper reports on the latest life-saving advances for your heart health, to help you prevent or treat coronary heart disease. Topics include angina; cardiac arrhythmias; and congestive heart failure.
    Feature highlights for 2008 include: the promise of stem cells to heal the heart after an MI; steps you must take quickly to survive cardiac arrest; how low is low enough, when it comes to your cholesterol; aortic stenosis: what to do when your aortic valve is narrowing along with your arteries; what an eye exam can reveal about the health of your heart; the latest on the first new angina drug in 20 years—will it be the answer to your chest pains?; the threat of sleep apnea to your heart, and how to lower your risk; and much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Healthier Heart, Longer Life through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION

  • 2008 Diabetes White Paper
    The 2008 Diabetes White Paper teaches you how to manage your Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and avoid complications, such as foot problems and vision changes. It reviews the latest tools for monitoring your blood glucose and the newest medications for controlling it.
    Featured highlights for 2008 include: myths and misconceptions about insulin therapy; tests your doctor should be doing to detect diabetes-related nerve damage; the best insulin for people who inject just once a day; exploring your options when diabetes disrupts your sex life; special considerations for diabetics facing heart surgery; and much more.
    PLUS, get your special discount and FREE Special Report: Dealing with Diabetes through this exclusive web-only offer.
    Read more or order the INSTANT PDF DOWNLOAD EDITION
    Read more or order the PRINT EDITION

  • Recipes for Weight Loss
    Along with engaging in regular exercise and not smoking, keeping your weight under control is one of the most important ways to achieve good health. Any weight loss strategy should include foods that you will enjoy eating for the rest of your life, not just a few weeks or months. The recipes in this book use nutritious, readily available foods that offer a wealth of sensory pleasures and satisfying flavors and textures. Read more…

  • The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50
    Since 1988, Hopkins experts have been reporting the latest cutting-edge information on treating the major medical conditions affecting those over 50. Women's health, men's medical concerns, nutrition, weight control, breakthroughs on colon cancer, and more, direct to you every month from our specialists. Read more, collect your FREE trial issue, or order now and receive two FREE Special Reports...

    Reference Books

    Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health after 50

  • The Johns Hopkins Medical Guide to Health After 50
    A comprehensive home medical encyclopedia that gives you a “crash course” on more than 100 major medical concerns of men and women over 50! Organized in an easy-to-use A to Z format, the Medical Guide provides in-depth explanations of the many chronic health problems associated with aging – high blood pressure, stroke, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, memory loss, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and gallstones, to name but a few.Read more or order...

    Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies

  • Johns Hopkins Symptoms and Remedies
    This easy-to-use reference book can help you pinpoint the causes of hundreds of disorders, from abdominal pain to skin rash to swollen glands. The book is divided into two distinct sections: symptoms, which includes charts covering a wide range of common symptoms and possible diagnoses, and disorders, which discusses the disorder, its causes, prevention advice, treatment strategies, and other crucial information so you will be able to either treat yourself at home, or know when it's time to call a doctor. Read more or order...


    Other Johns Hopkins Reference Books


  • The Johns Hopkins Consumer Guide to Drugs
    Read more or order...


  • ALL NEW!Number One of America's Best Hospitals 2007: Johns Hopkins

    Johns Hopkins has been ranked #1 again in the Honor Roll of America's Best Hospitals by
    U.S. News and World Report for the 17th consecutive year.


    Please visit here for more information about Johns Hopkins Patient Services


    Medical Disclaimer: The information on this page is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician.


    Please send me The 2007 Johns Hopkins White Paper:
    Nutrition and Weight Control
    !




    Yes! Please send me The 2007 Johns Hopkins White Paper: Nutrition and Weight Control for just $19.95, plus $2.95 shipping and handling.

    Annual updates will be offered to me by announcement card. I need to do nothing if I wish the update to be sent automatically. If I do not want it, I will return the announcement card. The update is completely optional and will never be sent without a prior announcement.

    The Johns Hopkins Nutrition and Weight Control for Longevity White Paper reports on the most exciting findings and the most useful, current information on healthful eating and weight control as a means to living a longer, healthier life.

    The Johns Hopkins Nutrition and Weight Control for Longevity White Paper provides a thorough overview of what the nutrition field knows about eating right and maintaining a healthy weight. It reports on the latest studies sometimes confirming what we already know about nutrition, and sometimes questioning our guidelines and current understanding (as the scientific process so often does).

    PAY NOW AND GET AN ADDED BONUS!

    Click here for details:


    Risk-FREE!
    Fill out the form and click "Submit my order."

    First Name

    Last Name

    Address

    Address2

    City

    State

    Zip

    Email Address (required)


    CANADIAN ORDERS, click here
    INTERNATIONAL ORDERS, click here


    Please send my FREE Johns Hopkins Nutrition and Weight Control Health Alerts!

    Your risk-FREE preview. The 2007 Johns Hopkins White Papers are yours to review risk-free. If you are not satisfied, simply return the White Paper, no questions asked. If you have paid by credit card in advance, you will receive a prompt refund, and may keep your FREE Special Report just for reviewing The 2007 Johns Hopkins White Papers.

    Only by private subscription. Don't bother looking for The 2007 Johns Hopkins White Papers on the newsstand or bookstore shelves. They are available only by private purchase, delivered directly to you.

    Why Johns Hopkins?


    © 2008 Medletter Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
    Contact Us
    customerservice@johnshopkinshealthalerts.com