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AP9 AtHomeRewards Shares Safety Tips on Handling Fruits and Vegetables

Even with all of the technological advances of the past 50-plus years, outbreaks of E. coli and other food-borne diseases continue to afflict people across the United States and the world, reports AP9 AtHomeRewards, a leading membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC. While individual consumers can'st control the quality of the produce that gets placed on supermarket shelves, they can take steps to help reduce the risks posed by unsanitary fruits and vegetables.



From contaminated spinach and peanut butter to tainted wheat gluten and more, food scares have been grabbing a lot of headlines lately. Unfortunately, problems with processed foods are rarely uncovered until after people are taken ill, but AP9 At Home Rewards notes that consumers can take the following proactive steps to lessen the risks of food-borne illnesses that fruits and vegetables can carry:



-- Wash your hands. It'ss an obvious step, but one that bears repeating: Hands are a major transmitter of germs from one place to another, so be sure to wash them -- including under the fingernails -- with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after touching any food, including everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to raw meat, fish and poultry.



-- Rinse your produce. Another commonsense method for removing contaminants from raw produce is to rinse it under warm water. Avoid using soap and other cleansing agents, though, because they may introduce other elements that can pose risks if digested. However, a small, sanitized scrub brush can be applied to scrape away surface dirt, if necessary.



-- Use clean, safe cutting boards. Prepare foods on smooth, durable cutting boards that don'st absorb juices or other particles from previous rounds of food preparation. To avoid cross-contamination, use hot water, soap and a scrub brush to clean the cutting board and any utensils -- forks, knives, spoons, etc. -- after preparing each individual item (fruit, vegetable, fish, meat or poultry). Once the entire meal has been prepared, wash the cutting board and utensils in the dishwasher, or rinse them in a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water.



-- Store produce safely. If you plan to eat them later, wrap any cut, peeled or otherwise separated leftovers in airtight cellophane and/or containers, and store them in the refrigerator. The ideal storage temperature is at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, notes AP9 AtHomeRewards.



-- Fuss over salad bars. While salad bars offer easy access to already-prepared produce, they rarely offer any guarantees of freshness. Be sure to avoid any questionable-looking (i.e., slimy, brown or dried-out) fruits and vegetables, since those are often signs that the food hasn'st been properly stored or preserved.



Fresh fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a good nutritional diet, so it'ss in your best interests to continue eating them -- which means it'ss also in your best interests to ensure that your fruits and vegetables are as safe as can be, concludes AP9 At Home Rewards.



About AP9 AtHomeRewards

AP9 At Home Rewards is a leading membership discount program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Adaptive Marketing is a category leader in membership programs, bringing value direct to consumers through an array of benefits in healthcare, discounts, security, personal property and personals. Members may access their benefits at AtHome-Rewards.com. With broad online and offline distribution capabilities, Adaptive Marketing offers its corporate client partners effective tools to enhance market presence, strengthen customer affinity and generate additional value through programs such as AP9 AtHomeRewards.

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