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Prevent E. coli infection

Tips for handling ready-to-eat produce to prevent E. coli infection.

E. coli are bacteria that normally live in the intestines of humans and animals. Many strains of E. coli bacteria exist, and most of them are harmless or beneficial to human health. However, strains that produce Shiga toxin (such as E. coli O157:H7) can cause serious illness in people.

One way people become ill with E. coli is by eating food contaminated with E. coli, including undercooked ground beef and other beef products; unpasteurized milk, cheese, and juice; and contaminated raw fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Recently, we've seen an increase in cases of E. coli linked to fresh produce.

Food service establishments play a key role in helping prevent the proliferation and spread of E. coli. Below are some tips for purchasing and handling fresh produce to help you prevent the proliferation and spread of E. coli in your food service establishment.

Use certified vendors. Monitor recalls and public health warnings:

  • Fresh produce vendors are permitted either by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), depending on whether they sell nationally or only in Washington state. These regulating agencies review the vendor's produce handling practices for food safety.
  • You should always source your fresh produce from permitted vendors. Buying from permitted vendors allows regulators to "trace back" the produce through the processing and growing steps to find the source of contamination if it makes someone ill.
  • Sign-up to receive notifications of food product recalls and public health alerts from the FDA and the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA). Work with your vendor to ensure they are following all product recalls and public health warnings.
  • Always check and track the temperature of packaged food deliveries. If the temperature is above 41º F, refuse the delivery.
  • When produce, meat and dairy products are delivered, refrigerate them immediately so they don't get above 41º F.

Properly store and wash fresh produce

  • If you're using unwashed produce, properly wash it before prepping and serving:
    • Always wash your hands before handling produce that will be washed or prepared.
    • Regardless of whether or not you have separate or a single food prep sink for meat and produce, wash and sanitize it between each use.
    • Wash produce before prepping or chopping it. For compact leafy greens, like romaine lettuce, peel the leaves apart before washing and wash the leaves separately to make sure dirt and bacteria aren't trapped under leaves.
    • When washing, separate different types of vegetables from one another to avoid cross contamination.
    • Thoroughly wash the produce under water (cold water is OK).
    • If you use an anti-bacterial solution to wash your produce, ensure it's an approved product and follow the guidelines on the package.
    • If you're not using an anti-bacterial wash, rinse the vegetables with water after washing and spin or strain dry.
  • If you buy pre-washed produce, inspect it to ensure that it is thoroughly clean and to remove any produce that's gone bad. If there is some dirt on the product, thoroughly wash with cold water.
  • When prepping ready-to-eat produce, never allow bare hand contact.
  • Maintain produce temperature at 41º F or below. Salad bar cold holding is good at maintaining temperatures, but not good at quickly reducing temperatures. We recommend storing prepped, ready-to-eat vegetables in a walk-in or reach-in refrigerator to lower the temperature before placing a small amount in the cold holding salad bar.
  • For freshness and quality, fresh produce can be kept in refrigeration units from 3 to 7 days. For additional information about how long to keep different types of foods, visit the FoodKeeper app from Foodsafety.gov. 

Avoid cross-contamination

  • Because ready-to-eat produce won't be cooked, it's at higher risk for contamination from sick employees, contaminated surfaces, and cross-contamination from meat.
  • Never allow bare hand contact with ready-to-eat produce.
  • Store produce above and away from raw meat products.
  • Designate separate cutting boards, knives and other utensils for produce and meat.
  • Regularly wash, rinse and sanitize display cases, cutting boards, refrigerators, and other food contact surfaces where potentially contaminated products were stored in order to avoid cross contamination of surfaces.
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