Skip the antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers

         Bacteria are bad, right? Gross little creature that make us sick? Not
quite; there are good and bad bacteria. You need some to maintain a healthy
digestive system, yet others can kill you.

         Bacteria are microscopic living organisms, usually one-celled, found everywhere. And yes, your gut houses a whole bunch of them!  They are even under your fingernails and all over your skin; you’re actually the host to about a trillion bacteria. Bacteria can make you sick or be beneficial, such as those in your gut.

         Interestingly enough, antibacterial soaps don’t necessarily solve the
hand-washing problem. The FDA announced in 2014 manufacturers have to show
over-the-counter antibacterial soap is both safe and more effective than
conventional hand washing.  Given the
amount of anti-bacterial use amongst the mom crowd, this could cause a bit of
hysteria. No need. There’s a simple answer. Wash your hands with soap for 15-20
seconds. It’s simple. 

         “Clean hands save lives” is the CDC’s mantra. They indicate washing hands with soap and warm water is the best way to reduce the number of microbes in most situations.

         Turns out the same is true for your fruit, but skip the soap.The FDA does
not recommend washing produce with soap,
detergent, bleach or commercial washes. Rather:

Handle produce with care to minimize bruisingWash in cold waterDry off any excess waterKeep produce that is supposed to be kept cool in the refrigerator (set at
40 degrees F or below)Dispose of any fruits or vegetables that look like they are going bad

         Washing your fruit and handling it properly goes a long way towards food
safety. Don’t assume fruit are laden with chemicals. In other words, they can’t
be sprayed right before harvest and the fruit is certainly not “drenched” in
chemicals, as some claim.

         What’s that waxy feel on your apple? Food-grade wax put on at the packing
house to help preserve the apple. What’s the white stuff on your grapes? A
harmless coating that the grape plant naturally produces to keep moisture in
the grapes. Wash and wipe; these substances will go away.

         There is also the bad side to bacteria, usually in a less controlled
environment, such as when your fruit decomposes into brown mush in the back of
your refrigerator. 

         The bacteria causing fruit and vegetable to spoil actually won’t harm
humans, though they can make the produce mushy, which is more attractive to
human pathogens such as Salmonella. E. Coli and listeria are another
example of bacteria that causes human illness. These are the bacteria that can
make you sick.

         No system is perfect, including agriculture. However, it’s good to know there are benchmarks and audits protecting your fruit. At some point, a consumer has to balance if they are more comfortable with pesticide use in food production or the potential for bacteria. I always go with what science supports, which means I’m O.K. with pesticides used responsibly.

         Whether it’s in the fruit aisle or with meats served at a restaurant, we
need to consider food safety. If we continue to put so much pressure on farmers
to produce more with less while increasing regulations, we will be importing
significantly more food.

Read
more at   Food Truths from Farm
to Table  to arm yourself with 25 truths you
urgently need to know about food so you can shop without guilt, confusion, or
judgment. A new book,  Food Bullying ,
releases November 5 to upend the way you think about eating choices.