Best Practices for Handling Fresh Produce in Schools

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Introducing them to children in schools will improve their present and future health. Fresh produce must be handled safely to reduce the risks of foodborne illness. Foodservice employees can take steps to reduce the chance of contamination of fruits and vegetables they handle. 

Harmful microorganisms can contaminate produce at any stage of production, processing, transportation, storage, preparation, and service. To prevent foodborne illness, fresh produce needs to be handled with care at each step from farm to fork.

Recommendations For Handling Fresh Produce

Purchasing and Receiving

• Use purchasing specifications that include food safety requirements such as:
  • maintaining produce at the proper temperature,
  • maintaining clean and pest-free storage areas and delivery vehicles, and
  • complying with federal and state food safety laws and regulations.
• Ensure suppliers are getting produce from licensed, reputable sources.
• Check storage and handling practices of vendors.
• Establish procedures for inspecting and accepting or rejecting incoming deliveries, which should include checking the condition of the fresh produce and the transportation vehicles.

Washing and Preparing

• Inspect produce for obvious signs of soil or damage prior to cutting, slicing, or dicing. When in doubt about damaged produce, either cut away the affected areas or do not use the item.
• Wash produce before serving or cutting using either:
  • Continuous running water.
  • Chemical disinfectants, used according to the manufacturer’s label instructions for recommended concentration and contact time. Note: Do not soak produce or store in standing water.
• Do not rewash packaged produce labeled “ready-to-eat,” “washed,” or “triple washed.”
• Wash thoroughly with hot soapy water all equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces that come into contact with cut produce. Rinse, sanitize, and air-dry before use.

Hand Hygiene

• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before handling or cutting fresh produce. Rewash hands after breaks, visiting restrooms, sneezing, coughing, handling trash or money, or anytime hands become soiled or otherwise contaminated.
• Use a barrier such as gloves, deli paper, or an appropriate utensil to touch ready-to-eat produce.
  • This does not eliminate the need for frequent proper handwashing.
• Always wash hands before putting on disposable gloves.
• Change disposable gloves anytime the gloves may have been contaminated or when changing tasks.
• Do not wash or reuse disposable gloves.
• Change disposable gloves if they are torn or damaged.

Serving

• Do not store produce in direct contact with ice or water while on display on serving lines and salad bars.
• Mark the time when cut produce is displayed without refrigeration. Display cut produce for a maximum of 4 hours if not in a refrigeration unit or containers surrounded by ice. Discard any uneaten produce at the end of 4 hours.
• Create safe salad bars and self-service lines by taking the following actions:
  • Protect food with sneeze guards or food shields in a direct line between the food and the mouth or nose, usually 14 to 18 inches above the food.
  • Use cleaned and sanitized long-handled tongs, spoons, and ladles so bare hands do not touch food and the utensils do not drop into the serving pans.
  • Change utensils periodically.
  • Set up the salad bar or self-service line as close to mealtime as possible to reduce the time that produce sits out.
  • Keep cold foods at or below 41°F in a refrigeration unit or surrounded by ice.
  • Monitor and document the internal temperature of self-service items every 30 minutes as with other foods on the service lines.
  • Clean up spills promptly. Wiping cloths should be stored in sanitizing solution and laundered daily.
  • Teach children salad bar etiquette. Assign an adult to monitor the salad bar and self-service line to make sure the customers—especially children—are not touching food with their hands, tasting food while in line, putting their heads under the sneeze guard, or returning food items.
  • Clearly label all salad dressings and other containers to discourage tasting.
  • Never add freshly prepared food to food already on salad bars and self-service lines.

Storing

• Maintain produce at the temperature recommended for the variety and particular stage of ripeness.
• Store produce at least 6 inches off the floor, including in walk-in refrigerators.
• Store produce in a covered container and above other items that might cause contamination.
• Follow manufacturer’s instructions for the product such as “keep refrigerated” or “best if used by.”
• Establish a policy for produce that is cut in-house to specify how long the refrigerated cut product may be used. Mark the product with “prepared on” or “use by” date.
• Wash produce just before preparation, not before storage.

Training and General Food Safety Practices

• Develop training to teach the importance of food safety and proper handling of produce to anyone who may handle food.
• Practice good food safety and food handling techniques to prevent cross-contamination.

Recommendations for Specific Types of Produce

Melons

• Avoid using whole melons that have visible signs of decay or damaged rinds (such as mechanical damage or cracking) because harmful bacteria may have contaminated them.
• Thoroughly wash the outer surface of the melon under running cool tap water to remove surface dirt.
• Scrub melons with a clean produce brush before cutting.
• Cut away any bruised or damaged areas before serving. Discard cut melons after 4 hours if maintained at 41°F or above. If possible, display cut melons in a refrigerated case, not just on top of ice.
• You can only display cut melons for a maximum of 4 hours without keeping them cool with refrigeration or ice. Uneaten melons should be discarded at the end of 4 hours.
• Refrigerated cut melons must be consumed or discarded within 7 days.

Tomatoes

• Do not wash tomatoes in cold water. Use wash water temperatures that are at least 10°F warmer than the internal tomato temperature to prevent exterior bacteria from entering the interior of the tomato during washing.
• Ensure whole tomatoes are free from obvious signs of soil and skin damage, such as punctures, prior to cutting, slicing, or dicing. Cut away any bruised or damaged areas, or do not use the tomato.
• Hold tomatoes at 41°F or below after cutting, including during display on serving lines and salad bars.
• Ensure the temperature of tomatoes purchased as fresh-cut (i.e., sliced, diced, or chopped) is 41°F or lower upon delivery and the tomatoes were kept cool continuously during transport.
• Reject fresh-cut tomatoes delivered at a temperature higher than 41°F.
• Refrigerated cut tomatoes must be consumed or discarded within 7 days.
• Do not store cut tomatoes in direct contact with ice or water.

Leafy Greens

• Do not use leafy greens with visible signs of decay or damage because there is an increased risk of the presence of harmful bacteria. When in doubt about the use of decayed or damaged product, either remove the unusable portions or do not use the leafy greens.
• Do not rewash packaged produce labeled “ready-to-eat,” “washed,” or “triple washed."

Sprouts

Due to the increasing number of illnesses associated with eating raw sprouts, the Food and Drug Administration has advised all consumers—especially children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems—to not eat raw sprouts as a way to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. All sprouts should be cooked thoroughly before eating to reduce the risk of illness.

Additional Resources

• FDA's Produce & Plant Products Guidance Documents and Regulatory Information
• Safe Handling of Raw Produce and Fresh-Squeezed Fruit and Vegetable Juices
• USDA's Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Program- A Handbook for Schools
• Fruits and Vegetables Galore: Helping Kids Eat More