Eating smart: fruit and vegetable safety.

When you think about getting sick from the food you eat (if you ever do), you probably remember the potato salad that nearly killed you at the office picnic or the stuffing left out on the counter too long last Thanksgiving. Or maybe you blame it on the milk that curdled because your child forgot to put it back in the refrigerator or the dinner you had at that strange new restaurant down the street.

Fruits and vegetables don't usually come to mind when people worry about food poisoning. And this is a good thing, because fruits and vegetables really do need to constitute a large part of our daily diet.

Unfortunately, fruits and vegetables can harbor bacteria that can make you sick, and there are also lingering questions about pesticide contamination. Let's face it, fruits and vegetables grow in soil--a rich source of microbes--and if a grower irrigates crops with unsanitary water, that's another invitation to bacteria. But the responsibility for providing safe fruits and vegetables is shared by the produce industry itself, the wholesale and retail grocers, the restaurants, and the consumer.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates certain production practices aimed at lowering bacterial contamination, growers cannot use animal fertilizers, and are required to use only potable (drinkable water for irrigation purposes. These regulations apply not only to domestic producers that market their products across state lines, but also to foreign producers who sell fruit and vegetables in the United States.

Pesticide contamination is an issue that keeps coming up, despite the many safeguards designed to make sure it is not problem.

According to the FDA, pesticides help protect crops from insects, diseases, weeds, and mold, and are a vital link in having a plentiful and affordable food supply. They are not considered contaminants because they are applied intentionally and therefore are subject to rigorous regulatory control.

The FDA claims that since 1987 (when the agency began reporting the results of its monitoring program) more than 99 percent of the domestic fruit and vegetable crops, and 95 percent of the imports, have been free of illegal pesticide residues or have had low-level residues that tell within established tolerances. When violations did occur, it was because a pesticide was used on a crop for which it had not received approval, even though it had been approved for other food products

A thin waxlike coating is often applied to fruits and vegetables after harvesting, primarily to seal in the moisture and make them last longer. Some of the most commonly waxed produce items are apples, melons, grapefruit, peaches oranges, rutabagas, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes. The FDA regulates the use of these waxes and considers them sale However, regulations are now in place that require packers or grocers to provide point-of-sale information about the presence of waxes and the type of wax (animal-based or vegetable-based).

Consumers concerned about consuming waxes can eliminate them almost entirely by washing fruits and vegetables in warm water and, when appropriate, scrubbing with a soft brush.

So assuming that the FDA, the Environmental Protection agency, the growers, the importers and the retailers are doing their part, what can you do to ensure the safety of what you eat when you buy it and once you get it home?

At the Store

* Look for fresh-looking fruits and vegetables that are not bruised, shriveled, moldy, or slimy. Don't buy anything that smells bad

* Buy only what you need. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are not "stock-up" items. Some, such as apples, potatoes, and most citrus can be stored at home, but most items should be bought to be used within a few days.

* Handle produce gently. Keep it on top in the shopping cart in the store so it doesn't bruise. Some item, that seem hardy--cauliflower is a good example--actually are very delicate and bruise easily.

At Home

* Put produce away promptly Keep most of it in the crisper, which has a slightly higher humidity than the rest of the refrigerator

* Throw away any produce you have kept too long--if it is moldy or slimy, if it smells bad, or it it is past the "best if used by" date.

* When you are ready to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, handle them properly. Germs can stick to the surface of produce and can be passed on when an item is cut or handled

* Wash your hands before and after handling any fresh foods. Wash all fruits and vegetables in clean, warm water, even it they have rinds that are not normally eaten such as melons and oranges. Use a small scrub brush to remove dirt. Remember to wash produce just before you use it, not when you put it away. The one exception is leafy greens, such as lettuce which should be rinsed before refrigerating to maintain their crispness.

* Do not use detergent when washing fruits and vegetables, because produce items are porous and can absorb the detergent. Detergent is not recommended by the FDA for use on foods.

* In addition to washing you should peel and discard outer leaves or rinds. Scrub hearty vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, it you want to eat the fiber- and nutrientrich skin.

* Keep refrigerators clean and cold Cover and refrigerate cut produce.

* If you make fruit or vegetable salads ahead of time keep them in the refrigerator until just before serving. Discard any cut produce items it they have been out or the refrigerator for four hours or more.

Sheldon Margen, M.D., is professor of public health at the University of California at Berkeley, Dale A. Ogar is managing editor of the University of California at Berkeley Welness Letter. They are the authors of The Simply Healthy Lafayette Cookbook, The Wellness Lafayette Cookbook, and The Wellness Encycolpedia of Food and Nutrition.