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Safe Handling of Fresh Oranges

Peggy Van Laanen and Amanda Scott*

ranges are a good source of Shopping O C, and fiber. Shop often for fresh oranges Like other fresh fruits and vegeta- and buy only what you will use bles, they provide , min- within a few days. Choose those erals and fiber to help keep your that: body healthy. •Have shiny, smooth skin According to the USDA Food •Have firm flesh Guide Pyramid, Americans should • Are heavy for their size eat five to nine servings of fruits •Have a healthy, color and vegetables every day. One •Have a fresh aroma serving of fresh oranges equals one Damaged oranges will spoil medium orange, 1/2 cup of sliced or quickly and could carry pathogens wedged fresh oranges, or 6 ounces that cause foodborne illness. of 100 percent orange . Avoid oranges that: Occasionally, fresh produce can •Have a dull, rough skin become contaminated with harmful • Are soft or shriveled bacteria or viruses, which are •Are molded known as pathogens. Examples of • Are damaged or bruised pathogens include Salmonella, E. If possible, select oranges by coli 0157:H7 and Hepatitis A. This hand instead of buying pre-bagged contamination can occur at any fruits. When the oranges are pre- point from the field to the table. bagged, it’s harder to detect mold- If you eat a contaminated fruit ed and damaged fruit. or vegetable, it could cause a In the shopping cart and in the foodborne illness. Common signs grocery bags, keep the oranges of foodborne illness include nau- separate from household chemi- sea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches cals and from raw beef, poultry, and fever. These signs usually fish and seafood. Place raw meats appear within 12 to 72 hours and in plastic bags to keep the blood can be serious. and from contaminating the However, safe handling of fresh oranges. oranges will help protect you and your family from foodborne illness.

*Professor and Extension Program Leader for Food and Nutrition, and Extension Associate, The Texas A&M University System. Storing of chlorine bleach in 1 quart of water. This Always store fresh oranges unwashed. Be sure includes your fruit/vegetable brush. to keep all storage areas clean and dry. When it Wash the oranges thoroughly in a clean sink is stored at room temperature, keep produce under clean, running water. You may wish to away from household chemicals. use a clean and sanitized fruit/vegetable brush to In the refrigerator, keep oranges separate from gently scrub the outside of the orange under raw beef, poultry, fish and seafood. Store raw meats running water. This will help remove dirt and on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a tray or bacteria from the outside of the orange. pan. This will prevent juice or blood from dripping Do not use detergents, soaps or bleach to onto the oranges. Throw away oranges that touch wash fresh oranges. These chemicals may raw meats, blood or juice. change the flavor and could be poisonous. Refrigerate oranges within 2 hours of cutting Use separate cutting boards and utensils for or peeling them. Store them in plastic bags, in raw meats and oranges, or wash and sanitize clean, airtight containers, or tightly covered in them between foods. This will prevent any plastic wrap. pathogens on the raw meat from being trans- Check stored oranges regularly. Throw out ferred to the oranges. any fruit that shows signs of spoilage such as Refrigerate leftover cut and/or peeled oranges mold and slime. within 2 hours. If they are left un-refrigerated Also, keep your refrigerator clean and cold (40 for longer than 2 hours, throw them away. degrees F or below). For fresh-squeezed orange juice Washing and serving Use fresh, quality oranges for juice. Wash the To prevent spoilage and mold growth during oranges before them. Store the fresh- storage, it is best to wash your oranges just squeezed juice in glass or plastic containers and before you eat, prepare or juice them or use the refrigerate it within 2 hours of juicing. rind for cooking. First, wash your hands with hot, soapy water Caution for 20 seconds. Wash your hands before and after People who are very susceptible to foodborne handling food and after touching raw meat, chang- illness may need to avoid drinking unpasteurized ing a diaper, using the restroom, handling a pet or or fresh-squeezed juice. These juices could con- touching anything that could contaminate your tain bacteria that cause foodborne illness. hands. Then dry your hands with a paper towel. Instead, those people should buy pasteurized Wash and sanitize all the food preparation juices. areas and utensils with a solution of 1 teaspoon

Tri-State Fruit and Vegetable Safety Consortium http://fruitandvegetablesafety.tamu.edu This publication was sponsored by a grant from the Initiative for Future Agriculture Food Systems, a program of the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, which is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-CSREES-IFAFS Grant # 00-52102-9637).

Produced by Agricultural Communications, The Texas A&M University System Extension publications can be found on the Web at: http://tcebookstore.org Visit Texas Cooperative Extension at: http://texasextension.tamu.edu

Educational programs of Texas Cooperative Extension are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age or national origin. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. Chester P. Fehlis, Director, Texas Cooperative Extension, The Texas A&M University System. New