What is a best practice when washing fruits and vegetables to prevent contamination from raw meat?

• A. Rinse under cool running water; scrub with a brush if needed; dry with clean towel; keep separate from raw meat.
• B. Soak in soap water.
• C. Rinse with hot water only.
• D. Combine with raw meat.

Answer: (A)

Preventing cross-contamination from raw meat is the key idea. When washing fruits and vegetables, rinse under cool running water to remove dirt and surface bacteria, scrub firm surfaces with a brush if needed to loosen grime, and then dry with a clean towel or let them air dry. Keeping produce separate from raw meat ensures any drips or contact don’t spread bacteria onto the produce. Soaking in soap water can leave soap residues on produce and isn’t recommended, hot water alone isn’t necessary and can alter texture, and combining produce with raw meat creates a direct contamination risk.