Food handling is one of the first and most important steps in developing good food safety practices. When it comes to getting the most nutrients out of your food, how you prepare it before cooking or eating it may make a big difference.
It is usual practice to wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. However, when it comes to washing fresh produce, many individuals are concerned that it would deplete the food's nutritional value.
We eat food in order to gain nutritional advantages and maintain our health. Is it, nevertheless, necessary to wash fresh produce? Yes, according to experts.
When fresh fruit is cut and packed, it maintains its nutritional value. Even when the fruit is stored for up to nine days at refrigerator temperature, cutting and packing have practically no effect on vitamin C and other antioxidants. Vitamin C is probably the nutrient that takes the most blow in chopped fruits and vegetables, however vitamin C is also lost. As a result, after cutting fruits and vegetables, we should not wash it.
Soil, animal debris, insecticides, and other pollutants are all present in fruits and vegetables. Consuming contaminated food may be harmful to one's health and cause symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pains, and more. Experts recommend thoroughly cleaning fruits and vegetables before consumption to minimize these issues. No, cleaning them won't make them less nutritious. Chopped and packed (fit to eat branded) fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, do not require washing.
Here are some guidelines for washing fruits and vegetables safely:
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Always thoroughly wash your food under cold running water.
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Avoid using soap, detergents, or chemicals to wash your fruits and veggies.
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Chopped fruits and vegetables should not be washed.
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Ensure that the damaged parts of fruits and vegetables are removed.
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After cleaning your food, remember to keep it in a secure location.
