NUTRITION AUTHOR
Caroline Betik
A REMINDER FROM COVID-19: CLEAN YOUR PRODUCE n Just like washing your hands, make sure you’re cleaning your fruits and veggies, too.
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practice the healthiest ways to care for fruits and vegetables, we have compiled a few reminders in order to ensure they are safe to eat.
f there is anything good that has come out of coronavirus, it is that we have all been reminded of healthy habits we should carry on past the pandemic. Washing our hands frequently, sneezing and coughing into our elbows and simply being more mindful about how our actions can affect other people are a few examples. With the uncertainty of how the virus could spread, many questions circulated around whether or not the virus could be transmitted by groceries. The CDC reports that coronavirus is generally thought to be spread from person-to-person respiration, and there is no evidence to support the transmission of coronavirus through food products. However, washing produce does help remove harmful bacteria and dirt or chemicals which may be on the surface of fruits and vegetables. While it is not necessary to take extra precautions in caring for your groceries because of the coronavirus, at the very least, this season has given us a reminder to practice caring for our fresh foods. To help you
JUNE 2020
At the store
To prevent the spread of germs, do your best to only touch what you are going to purchase. While it can be tempting to shuffle fruits and vegetables around to find the best quality products, spend a little longer looking before touching them, and put loose fruit and vegetables in produce bags when shopping to protect them from being damaged or gathering more germs. If you want to be more eco-friendly, try out some mesh, reusable bags to bring from home. Additionally, try to remember shopping etiquette when buying produce, including washing your hands before entering the store. Practicing these things will help minimize the amount of germs on food and leave yourself and other shoppers around you feeling more at ease knowing your food is touched by clean hands.
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