How can I safely wash and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables at home?

The recent Cyclospora outbreak, possibly linked to lettuce or other fresh produce, is a reminder to follow a few basic food-safety steps.

Wash your hands with soap and water, then rinse fresh fruits and vegetables under clean running water before cutting or eating them. Gently rub produce with your hands and scrub firm items, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush. You don’t need to use soap, bleach or commercial produce washes, according to FoodSafety.gov.

Use clean utensils and cutting boards, keep produce separate from raw meat and refrigerate cut or peeled produce within two hours. Washing helps reduce germs, although it may not remove them completely.

For more tips, visit the FDA’s Selecting and Serving Produce Safely resource.