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Publication #FCS68747

 

Floral, Leafy and Stem Vegetables:Safe Handling Practices for Consumers1

Amy Simonne2

A healthy diet should include a variety of fruits and vegetables including floral, leafy and stem vegetables. Leafy vegetables include lettuces, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, spinach, and kale. Stem vegetables include asparagus, kohlrabi and fennel. Floral vegetables are artichoke, broccoli, and cauliflower. Because many of these vegetables may be packed in the field and because some of these vegetables are often consumed raw, care must be taken to decrease risk of foodborne illness. This publication will focus on floral, leafy and stem vegetables that are consumed raw. Here are steps that you can take to reduce your risk of foodborne illness.

Where You Shop:

Buy floral, leafy and stem vegetables that are not bruised or damaged.

If you buy floral, leafy and stem vegetables in the form of fresh-cut, be sure that they are refrigerated or surrounded by ice.

At Home:

Refrigerate floral, leafy and stem vegetables especially those for raw consumption.

All fresh floral, leafy, and stem vegetables should be refrigerated within two hours of cutting.

Leftover cut or prepared floral, leafy and stem vegetables should be discarded after two hours at room temperature.

During Preparation:

Wash hands with hot, soapy water before and after:

  • handling fresh produce

  • handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood

  • using the bathroom

  • changing diapers

  • handling pets

Certain types of floral, leafy and stem vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, iceberg head lettuce, spinach, and celery are often packed in the field. Keeping these commodities clean is a problem in field packing operations, especially when fields are muddy.

Consumers need to always wash or rinse floral, leafy and stem vegetables well with cool tap water just before preparing or eating. Do not use soap or detergents.

Floral, leafy and stem vegetables for raw consumption or for garnishing must be washed individually.

Cut away bruised or damaged areas before preparing or eating floral, leafy and stem vegetables. Microbes can hide in the damaged tissues.

Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and counter tops often. Use hot, soapy water and rinse well. Sanitize them after contact with fresh produce, or raw meat, poultry, or seafood (see below).

Sanitize kitchen sink frequently to prevent a build-up of microbes.

Do not cross contaminate. Use clean cutting boards and utensils for fresh produce.

If possible, use a separate cutting board for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.

Do not consume ice that has come into contact with fresh produce or other raw products.

Use a cooler with ice or ice gel packs when you take perishable foods outdoors. This includes cut fresh fruits and vegetables.

To Sanitize Cutting Boards, Dishes, and Utensils:

Table 1. 

Mix one teaspoon chlorine bleach in one quart water.

Pour the mixture onto all surfaces or submerge appropriate items into the above solution and let sit at least one minute.

Rinse surfaces well with hot running water.

Following these steps will help reduce your risk of foodborne illness from fresh produce.

For More Information:

You can visit the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website at: http://www.fda.gov or call FDA consumer inquiries at 1-888-SAFEFOOD (a toll-free number).

Footnotes

1.

This document is FCS68747, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date October 2002. Revised October 2006. Reviewed March 2012. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Amy Simonne, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, IFAS, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.