Wash the melon before you cut it

Rinse your melon before the knife touches it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says to wash produce before you peel or cut it, so dirt and bacteria on the outside are not carried inside on the blade. Rub it gently under plain running water, and use a clean vegetable brush on firm produce such as melons and cucumbers. The FDA says soap and produce washes are not needed.

The advice matters because produce is not always the safe choice people assume. Federal health officials estimate that nearly 48 million people are sickened each year by food contaminated with harmful germs, according to the FDA. In recent years the United States has had several large outbreaks tied to fruits and vegetables, including spinach, cantaloupe, tomatoes and lettuce.

Glenda Lewis, an FDA expert on foodborne illness, says fresh produce can pick up contamination at many points. In the field, animals, harmful substances in soil or water and poor worker hygiene can all play a part. After harvest, produce passes through many hands, and it can even become contaminated in your own kitchen during preparation or through poor storage.

The FDA's full list adds a few more habits. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after handling fresh produce. Choose items that are not bruised or damaged, and cut away any bruised spots before eating. Dry washed produce with a clean cloth or paper towel, and remove the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage.

Storage counts too. The FDA says pre-cut items such as bagged lettuce or watermelon slices should be refrigerated or on ice both in the store and at home. Lewis says perishable produce belongs in the refrigerator at or below 40 degrees.