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Va. (WHSV) – Some parents may be thinking twice about serving fresh produce to their kids after the multistate outbreak of Cyclospora. However, health experts say food safety concerns don’t have to mean skipping fruits and vegetables altogether
According to a new study, data shows children already don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, and the recent foodborne illness outbreaks, such as Cyclospora, aren’t making things any better
Rachel Dumene, communications specialist with the Virginia Department of Health’s Central Shenandoah Health District, said that with many different foodborne illness outbreaks occurring throughout the summer, it’s understandable that people may have concerns, but parents should know the food system within the United States is still generally safe
“There are a lot of safeguards in place to catch outbreaks that might be occurring, to stop them, to recall products, and to give guidance to consumers who might still have those products or might have eaten them before,” she said
Although there are safeguards in place, Dumene said there are extra steps you can take as a parent to help better protect your children
“In order to effectively clean produce, you should wash your hands <a href="https://healthylife7.com/el-paso-reports-first-west-nile-virus-death-2026/” title=”El Paso reports first West Nile virus death 2026″>first early, and then all you really need to use to clean produce is water. It can be cold or cool water, and you can rub produce with your hands under water, or you can use a dry brush to scrape off any dirt …”
Dumene said that with those studies showing children not eating enough healthier food items, it’s important that parents play a role in not only cleaning fresh produce properly but also encouraging them to eat fruits and vegetables
“They provide lots of vitamins and minerals that are essential for our bodies, and they can also be good tasting and fun to eat. So it’s really important for parents to again really encourage that early and often,” she said
She said buying fresh produce at your local farmers market could be a good alternative; however, there could still be a risk of other diseases that could be carried in that produce as well
“There’s a lot of different risk factors, and no food system can be entirely 100% safe all of the time. There are too many moving parts and variables for us to pay attention to. However, on the consumer side of things, what individuals can do in these certain situations is going to be again washing their produce effectively, making sure that they’re staying cognizant of any recalls that the FDAor USDA might have out there,” she said
Dumene said with kids being the most vulnerable to illnesses, just remember no matter where you get your produce,alwayswash it first
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