I don't know about you, but the recent rash of food borne illnesses in fresh produce have me thinking every time I pick up my bag of baby spinach or baby carrots at the store. I continue to eat these products, because I believe the benefit of eating them is far greater than the risk of getting sick, but I have to admit that I have concerns.

So does the FDA, apparently, and this week they handed out guidelines to fresh-cut produce providers to follow on a voluntary basis to help cut down the risk of food contamination. Though theoretically, any produce can be contaminated, fresh cut produce (think bags of salad, pre-cut veggies, and broccoli florets, for example) have been implicated in 25% of illnesses caused by fresh produce in the last 10 years. Though industry leaders can't say for sure why that is, they believe it may be because the natural protective barrier is removed when a fruit or vegetable is cut open. It also may be because more processing means the product gets handled more, or simply be that we're eating more fresh produce than before.

The good news is that, though we've heard a lot about them, illness outbreaks caused by produce are not on the rise. And most manufacturers are already following the guidelines the FDA released this week. Fresh fruit and veggies are the cornerstone of a healthy diet, and no one should have to feel afraid when they eat them.