That Shiny Apple Might Be Hiding More Than You Think
Have you ever grabbed an apple from the grocery store and taken a bite without washing it first? You’re not alone, but that seemingly innocent fruit could be carrying way more than just natural beauty. Firm-skinned produce can hold residues even beneath the surface—brushing helps remove more than rinsing alone. Those glossy surfaces that make apples look so appealing in the produce section are often coated with food-grade waxes, dirt particles, and potentially harmful bacteria that have hitched a ride from farm to store.
The journey your apple takes before reaching your kitchen is longer and dirtier than most people realize. After being picked from trees, apples are handled by multiple workers, transported in trucks, processed in facilities, and touched by countless shoppers before you select them. But fruits and veggies can pick up dirt, chemicals, and wax in their journey from farm to your crisper drawer. This means your beautiful apple could be carrying a cocktail of contaminants that a simple rinse might not eliminate.
Root Vegetables That Grow in Yesterday’s Dirt
Potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables spend their entire growing lives buried in soil, which means they’re practically magnets for dirt, bacteria, and whatever else might be lurking underground. For firmer produce such as apples, lemons, and root vegetables like potatoes and carrots, thorough cleaning is crucial due to their exposure to soil and various handling processes. Using a clean, soft-bristle brush under cold running water effectively removes residues and surface bacteria. Even when they look clean on the outside, these vegetables can harbor microscopic particles that cling stubbornly to their surfaces.
The tricky part about root vegetables is that their rough, textured skins create perfect hiding spots for contaminants. For firmer vegetables and fruits, such as melons, apples, carrots, or potatoes, use a soft-bristle vegetable brush to scrub the surface. The scrubbing helps to remove the loosened dirt and softened wax and chemicals. Simply running them under water won’t cut it – you need that mechanical action of scrubbing to dislodge the stubborn particles that water alone can’t remove.
Leafy Greens and Their Hidden Passengers
Lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens might look fresh and clean in their plastic containers, but they’re actually some of the riskiest foods when it comes to foodborne illness. Leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, and Swiss chard are delicate and require careful handling to maintain their quality and safety. The initial step in cleaning these greens involves removing the outermost leaves, which are often the most contaminated and damaged. These vegetables grow close to the ground, making them prime targets for contamination from soil, irrigation water, and even animal waste.
The structure of leafy greens makes them particularly challenging to clean properly. Make sure to wash between each leaf thoroughly, as leafy greens are likely to have dirt or bugs, especially toward the base of the stem or hiding in the folds of leaves. Those crinkled surfaces and tight spaces between leaves create perfect hideouts for bacteria and debris. What’s even more concerning is that Pesticides are most concentrated on the outer leaves.
Berries That Absorb Everything Around Them
Strawberries, blueberries, and other soft fruits are like tiny sponges that absorb whatever they come into contact with during their journey to your table. Since berries bruise easily and can take on the flavors of items they come into contact with, they can be difficult to wash properly. Be sure to be extra gentle when washing berries. Their delicate skin and porous surface make them particularly susceptible to contamination, yet they require the gentlest cleaning approach to avoid damage.
The challenge with berries isn’t just their fragility – it’s also their surface structure. This can be especially helpful for produce with crevices or textured surfaces, like berries or broccoli. Those tiny dimples and natural indentations on berry surfaces create perfect hiding spots for bacteria and pesticide residues. Berries, mushrooms, and other types of produce that are more likely to fall apart can be cleaned with a steady stream of water and gentle friction using your fingers to remove grit.
Melons and Their Surprising Secret
You might think that since you’re not eating the rind, washing melons is unnecessary – but you’d be dangerously wrong. Scrub firm produce like melons or cucumbers with a clean produce brush. When you cut through an unwashed melon, your knife carries bacteria from the dirty surface directly into the flesh you’re about to eat. This simple oversight has caused numerous foodborne illness outbreaks over the years.
Melons present a unique challenge because their netted or textured surfaces provide countless tiny crevices where bacteria can hide and multiply. For firm produce, such as melons and winter squash, use a clean vegetable brush to scrub the surface as you rinse it. The rough surface of cantaloupe, in particular, makes it nearly impossible to clean thoroughly without proper scrubbing technique.
Mushrooms That Act Like Tiny Sponges
Mushrooms are fascinating organisms, but their sponge-like structure makes them tricky to clean properly. For all mushrooms (morels – see below), wipe one at a time with a damp paper towel or a soft mushroom brush to remove any dirt. You can lightly rinse the mushrooms with cool water and pat dry with paper towels, but do not soak the mushrooms. They absorb water like little sponges. This water absorption isn’t just about texture – it can actually dilute the mushroom’s natural flavors and create a soggy, unappetizing result.
The key to cleaning mushrooms lies in understanding their unique biology. Delicate produce like strawberries and mushrooms should not be cleaned using abrasive methods like brushing, as this can easily damage their surfaces. Instead, these items should be rinsed under a gentle but steady stream of water. Their delicate structure means you need to balance thorough cleaning with gentle handling to maintain their integrity and flavor.
The Shocking Truth About Raw Chicken
Here’s where things get counterintuitive: despite what your grandmother might have taught you, washing raw chicken is actually dangerous. Raw chicken is ready to cook and doesn’t need to be washed first. This might sound crazy, but food safety experts have been trying to break this habit for decades because washing chicken doesn’t remove bacteria – it spreads it everywhere.
The science behind this recommendation is both fascinating and frightening. Washing chicken won’t remove many bacteria, said Benjamin Chapman, an associate professor in North Carolina State University’s agricultural and human sciences department. But it can spread germs to hands, work surfaces, clothing and nearby utensils or food — a process called cross-contamination. When water hits raw chicken, it creates tiny droplets that can travel up to three feet from your sink, contaminating surfaces you didn’t even know were at risk.
Why Washing Eggs Is a Food Safety Mistake
Commercial eggs in the United States undergo a complex cleaning and processing system before they reach store shelves, making additional washing not just unnecessary but potentially harmful. Do not wash eggs from the grocery store before putting them in the refrigerator. Washing is a routine part of commercial egg processing and the eggs do not need to be washed again. The commercial washing process removes the natural protective coating, but it’s replaced with something better.
The protective system on eggs is more sophisticated than most people realize. “Bloom,” the natural coating on just-laid eggs that helps prevent bacteria from permeating the shell, is removed by the commercial washing process. It is replaced by a light coating of edible mineral oil, which restores protection for long-term home storage of eggs. Extra handling of the eggs in your home, such as washing them, could increase the risk of cross-contamination, especially if the shell becomes cracked.
Raw Meat and the Splash Zone of Danger
The same principle that applies to chicken extends to all raw meats – washing them is not just ineffective, it’s actively dangerous. Don’t wash meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood to avoid spreading harmful germs around your kitchen. The water pressure from your faucet creates a splash pattern that can contaminate nearby surfaces in ways you can’t see or predict.
Food safety experts have been fighting this misconception for years, but it persists because it seems logical. So, it is logical that many people believe meat and poultry will be cleaner and safer by washing it. Is this true? Does washing meat, poultry, eggs, fruits and vegetables make them safer to eat? The answer for meat is a resounding no. “With meat and poultry, there is a kill step, but it’s cooking — it isn’t rinsing,” said Feist.
The Right Way to Wash What Needs Washing
When it comes to produce that should be washed, technique matters more than you might think. Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without soap, bleach, or commercial produce washes. Rinse fruits and vegetables before peeling, removing skin, or cutting away any damaged or bruised areas. The key is using plain, cold water and proper mechanical action rather than relying on chemicals or additives.
Temperature and pressure play crucial roles in effective produce washing. Wash produce using cool to room temperature, potable (safe to drink) water. Hot water might seem more effective, but hot water will wilt, bruise, or begin to cook some veggies or fruits and can provide a pathway for microorganisms to get inside the produce. The goal is to remove contaminants without creating new pathways for bacteria to enter.
Understanding the Real Risks
The stakes of proper food washing are higher than most people realize. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne pathogens sicken an estimated 48 million Americans every year, putting 128,000 in the hospital and killing 3,000. These aren’t just statistics – they represent real people whose lives were changed by contaminated food that could have been made safer through proper handling.
The most concerning aspect of foodborne illness is how easily it spreads through cross-contamination. Preliminary results from the first of a multiyear study showed that participants spread bacteria from raw meat to spice containers, refrigerator handles and even salads. This research reveals how washing the wrong foods can turn your entire kitchen into a contamination zone, affecting foods and surfaces you never intended to expose to harmful bacteria.
The difference between foods you should wash and those you shouldn’t isn’t arbitrary – it’s based on decades of food safety research and real-world contamination patterns. By understanding these principles, you’re not just following rules; you’re protecting yourself and your family from invisible dangers that could have serious consequences. Remember, when it comes to food safety, sometimes the most logical-seeming action is actually the most dangerous one.
