9th Grade Health Practice Test

Washing fruits and vegetables before eating reduces germs and pesticide residues on the surface, making eating safer and healthier. Produce can pick up dirt, bacteria, and chemical residues during growing, harvesting, packaging, and handling, so rinsing under clean running water and rubbing gently helps remove many of these contaminants. This lowers the chance of illness from pathogens and chemical exposure. It’s not about removing nutrients or increasing shelf life or sugar content—the goal is to clean the surface so what you eat is safer, not to change the food’s nutrients or quality in those other ways.