READY

TO EAT FOODS
Dairy, yogurts, cream,
packaged foods, cooked
food /meats, baked

Proper food storage will help

prevent food born illnesses and
waste. It is best to keep your food

LIQUIDS & OTHERS

Milk, juice, condiments
and soft drinks

RAW MEATS
Always store raw meat on
the bottom shelf in
PRODUCE
Fruits and vegetables
should be kept separate

how does your fridge stack up?

Once a fruit or vegetable has been picked, its flavor and nutrients begin to deteriorate. Properly
storing your produce will help slow down the progression of deterioration.
Some produce ethylene gas enhances ripening and can lead to spoiling vegetables and fruits that
are sensitive to ethylene. It is best to follow the guideline below.

Ethylene Emitting Ethylene Emitting
Refrigerate
Room temperature
Apples
Apricots
Cantaloupe
Figs
Honeydew
Kiwi
Lemons

Avocados
Bananas, unripe
Nectarines
Peaches
Pears
Plums
Tomatoes

Ethylene Sensitive Foods

Asparagus
Apples
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas, Unripe
Belgian Endive
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflowers

Celery
Chard
Cherimoyas
Cherries
Cucumbers
Collards
Green Beans
Eggplants
Grapes
Kale
Kiwifruit, unripe

Pears
Peas
Peppers
Spinach
Squash
Strawberries
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Watercress
Watermelons

Knowing the shelf life of food will help prevent food borne illness and
spoilage. Visit www.stilltasty.com for more information about shelf life.


How clean are the fruits and vegetables
you purchased at the grocery store? Pesticides
and microorganism are found on produce
while it moves from farm to store; in addition
wax is used to keep food from prematurely
spoiling.


The Environment Working Group
studied 100,000 and identified 49 of the
dirtiest and cleanest foods in the produce isle
(health). Visit www.ewg.org for more
information.

Dirtiest Produce
Celery
Peaches/Nectarines
Strawberries
Apples
Blueberries, domestic
Sweet Bell pepper
Spinach/Kale/Collard
Greens
Grapes, Imported
Potatoes
Cherries
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Summer Squash

Cleanest Produce
Asparagus
Eggplant
Avocado
Pineapple
Cabbage
Cantaloupe
Sweet Corn
Grapefruit
Kiwis
Mangoes
Mushrooms
Papayas
Sweet Peas, Frozen
Sweet Potatoes

D O I T Y O U R S E L F
3 Parts Water: 1 Part Vinegar
Make your own produce cleaner
that will sanitize and remove wax.

>> HARD-SKINNED

Use a spray bottle to clean the food,

rub in the solution rinse and enjoy!

>> SOFT-SKINNED

Fill a bowl with the solution and

soak the soft-skinned fruit or
vegetable for 1 to 2 minutes; rinse
and enjoy!

References:
1. http://www.ecoworld.org.uk/eco_topics/food/consumer-issues.asp
2. http://www.bestifusedby.com/Veg_Handling.html
3. http://www.bestfoodfacts.org/food-for-thought/fruit-vinegar
4. http://www.clipart-box.com/zoom/spray-bottle120523.jpg
5. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm093704.htm
6. http://www.vegetariantimes.com/article/spoiled-rotten-how-to-store-fruits-and-vegetables/
7. http://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/articles/storing-fruits-and-vegetables.html