Ninety-eight percent of juice sold in the United States is pasteurized
(heat-processed to kill pathogenic bacteria). The remaining 2 percent is
unpasteurized and may contain harmful bacteria.
When fruits and vegetables are
fresh-squeezed, harmful bacteria from the outside of the produce can become a
part of the finished product. If it's ingested, children, the elderly and
people with weakened immune systems risk serious illness or even death.
Precautions
for All Fruits, Vegetables and Juices
- Children,
the elderly and people with weakened immune systems should drink only
juices that have been pasteurized or otherwise treated to kill pathogenic
bacteria.
- If you
or someone in your family is in one of the at-risk groups and you cannot
determine if a juice has been processed to destroy harmful bacteria,
either don't use the product or bring it to a boil to kill any harmful
bacteria that may be present.
- Pasteurized
juice can be found in the refrigerated sections of stores. Like milk,
pasteurized juice must be refrigerated.
- Treated
juice consists of shelf-stable juice normally found in non-refrigerated,
shelf-stable containers, such as juice boxes, bottles or cans. It is
treated at a much higher temperature than pasteurized juice and is
packaged in special airtight containers.
- Unpasteurized
or untreated juice is normally found in the refrigerated sections of
grocery, health-food stores, cider mills or farm markets. Unpasteurized or
untreated juice must have the following warning on the label:
WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized
and therefore may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in
children, the elderly and persons with weakened immune systems.
Safer Fresh Fruits and
Vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables are
important to the health and well-being of Americans and we enjoy one of the
safest supplies of fresh produce in the world. However, although low, the
proportion of foodborne illness associated with fresh fruits and vegetables has
increased over the last several years. As health and nutrition experts continue
to recommend we add more fruits and vegetables to a healthy daily diet, it
becomes increasingly important that consumers know how to handle them properly.
At the point
of purchase
- Check
to be sure that the fresh fruits and vegetables you buy are not bruised or
damaged.
- Check
that fresh cut fruits and vegetables like packaged salads and precut
melons are refrigerated at the store before buying. Do not buy fresh cut
items that are not refrigerated.
When in
doubt, throw it out!
- Throw
away fresh fruits and vegetables that have not been refrigerated within
two hours of cutting, peeling or cooking.
- Remove
or throw away bruised or damaged portions of fruits and vegetables when
preparing to cook them or before eating them raw.
- Throw
away any fruit or vegetables that will not be cooked if it has touched raw
meat, poultry or seafood.
Clean
- Wash
hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after
handling fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Clean
all surfaces and utensils with hot water and soap, including cutting
boards, counter tops, peelers and knives that will touch fresh fruits or
vegetables before and after food preparation.
- Rinse
fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water, including those with
skins and rinds that are not eaten. Packaged fruits and vegetables labeled
"ready-to-eat", "washed" or "triple washed" need not be washed.
- Rub
firm-skin fruits and vegetables under running tap water or scrub with a
clean vegetable brush while rinsing with running tap water.
- Dry
fruits and vegetables with a clean cloth towel or paper towel.
- Never
use detergent or bleach to wash fresh fruits or vegetables. These products
are not intended for consumption.
Separate
- When
shopping, be sure fresh fruits and vegetables are separated from household
chemicals and raw foods such as meat, poultry and seafood in your cart and
in bags at checkout.
- Keep
fresh fruits and vegetables separate from raw meat, poultry or seafood in
your refrigerator.
- Separate
fresh fruits and vegetables from raw meat, poultry and seafood. Do not use
the same cutting board without cleaning with hot water and soap before and
after preparing fresh fruits and vegetables.
Cook
- Cook or
throw away fruits or vegetables that have touched raw meat, poultry,
seafood or their juices.
Chill
- Refrigerate
all cut, peeled or cooked fresh fruits and vegetables within two hours.
