When preparing raw meat, I’m careful; I wash my hands, use separate utensils and immediately put my cutting board in the dishwasher to prevent cross-contamination. But the same can’t be said for when I’m prepping veggies. Take potatoes, for example.
After a quick rinse off of the starchy tuber slime, I’ll use the same knife to slice an apple or chop lettuce for a salad. Chefs and food safety experts say this isn’t a good idea. Cleaning surfaces, tools and produce are all key to staying safe, even when preparing an innocuous potato.
HuffPost spoke with food safety experts about how produce can cause food poisoning through cross-contamination and how to properly prepare fruits and vegetables. Produce is commonly linked to foodborne illness. Julian Bond , e xecutive chef and vice president of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, uses the potato, arguably the best vegetable, to help his cooking school students understand the nuances of food safety.
He explained, “I ask my students who washes their cutting boards after chopping chicken, and everybody puts up their hand. I ask the same question about potatoes, and no one does.” While we’re all aware of the dangers of raw and undercooked meat , fruits and vegetables have been the most commonly linked to foodborne illness in the United States.
Recent outbreaks include leafy greens, strawberries, alfalfa sprouts and mushrooms, which can be caused by contaminated soil, water or even due to improper handling by worker.
