Small changes in how consumers store fruits and vegetables can extend how long food lasts, reducing household waste tied to moisture and temperature, according to Purdue University and other food-safety experts interviewed by the Associated Press. The experts said produce spoilage is not random: it reflects conditions that allow microbes and spoilage organisms to grow as food sits in kitchens and refrigerators.
From a scientific perspective, produce carries natural microflora—a mix of microscopic organisms—so it can begin to break down faster when storage conditions suit those microbes. “This could be bacteria, yeast, molds, things like that,” said Amanda Deering, an associate professor of produce food safety at Purdue University, in comments included in the AP report. Deering and other experts argued that household food waste often results from preventable storage and handling habits rather than from the produce itself.
One widely cited change is timing and moisture control. Experts interviewed by the AP said people should wait to wash fruits and vegetables until just before eating, rather than washing and then storing. They said washing before storage can leave water that bacteria, yeast and mold need to grow, and they suggested keeping items as dry as possible in the fridge in the meantime, including using a paper towel to absorb dampness in containers of berries or leafy greens.
The guidance also extends to cutting. Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian, warned that cutting produce before storing can shorten shelf life. “The big one is washing it and cutting it before storing it. This, of course, can leave a lot of excess moisture behind,” Sharp said. She added that it speeds spoilage because it can cut into the produce’s cell walls.
Another set of recommendations focuses on temperature and airflow. Deering said microbes grow faster at room temperature, and she said refrigeration can slow that process. She also pointed to the way food is packed into the fridge, saying overcrowding can block airflow and make it harder to keep temperatures consistent.
Different categories of produce also have different needs. Deering said herbs last longer when they are treated like flowers—trimmed and placed in water—while harder herbs can be wrapped in a damp towel and stored in the fridge. For root vegetables, she said items like carrots can be kept in water to maintain crispiness, and she said separating leafy tops can extend the shelf life of carrots and beets.
Experts also said consumers should consider how produce is stored relative to other foods and ripening stages. Deering told the AP that tomatoes are best preserved at room temperature, while refrigeration can slow spoilage. For garlic, she said whole garlic should be kept in a cool, ventilated space, while cut or peeled garlic belongs in the fridge. Sharp added that potatoes and onions should not be kept together and said they can make each other spoil faster. “You want to keep them away from one another because they actually can make each other spoil faster,” Sharp said.
The experts said ethylene gas release during ripening can also affect nearby items. Deering told the AP that as fruits ripen, they release ethylene, a natural compound that speeds up ripening in other produce, and she warned that storing very ripe bananas next to greener ones—or alongside other fruits—can cause everything around them to ripen and spoil more quickly.
Some waste, the AP report said, comes from uncertainty about what “spoiled” actually looks like and what is still safe. Sharp said a portion of consumer waste is driven by date confusion and by cosmetic quality standards, noting that “a little ugly is not the same as unsafe.” She said fruits and vegetables that wilt, soften, or become slightly discolored may not taste as fresh in some recipes, but that they can still be safe to eat—especially when cooked.
Sharp said clearer disposal signals include visible mold, slime, leaking liquid and strong unpleasant odors—signs that the produce has broken down beyond safe consumption. She emphasized that mild quality issues are often different from food-safety issues. “Produce that is like a little bit wilted or like a little soft or a little less crisp is often more a quality issue. It’s not necessarily a food safety issue,” Sharp said.
The experts also tied household waste to downstream environmental impacts. The AP report said throwing away food discards the results of resources used to grow, transport and store it, and it cited habits that can reduce that waste, including buying only what consumers need, using items before they sit too long, and freezing produce like berries or bananas before it goes bad. Pete Pearson, a vice president at World Wildlife Fund, said household food waste represents a large portion of food waste across the whole supply chain.
Pearson also pointed to greenhouse-gas impacts beyond the kitchen. “When food enters landfills, it’s essentially buried in a non-oxygen environment where it breaks down and creates bacteria and methane emissions,” Pearson said. He argued that because people interact with food daily, small shifts can add up across millions of households. “It’s these small changes over millions and millions of people that can make a huge difference,” he said.