Do you really have to wash all your fruits and vegetables before eating them?
It may seem like an extra step before making a salad or throwing veggies into a hot pan, but the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak seems to have everyone on edge about using fresh produce—especially as cases continue to rise.1
Iceberg lettuce is still considered the main source of the outbreak, and any potentially contaminated lettuce has been removed from the food supply—but what about everything else?2 Do you really have to rinse everything from the grocery store or farmer’s market before it hits your plate? Here’s what you need to know.
Yes, You Need to Wash Your Produce
Even without an ongoing Cyclospora outbreak, you’d still benefit most from rinsing off your veggies—even produce with rinds you plan on removing, like lemons or oranges. The act of peeling off that outer layer could transfer pathogens from the produce’s skin to the edible flesh.
