{
  "checked_on": "2026-10-12",
  "title": "After the first cut",
  "deck": [
    "Clean the rind, then keep the flesh cold.",
    "Household U.S. food-safety guidance."
  ],
  "eyebrow": "REDBERI \u00b7 HOUSEHOLD PRODUCE GUIDE",
  "output": "cut-melon-decision.svg",
  "categories": [
    {
      "category": "Before cutting",
      "decision": "Wash and scrub the rind",
      "detail": "Use a clean brush, board and knife."
    },
    {
      "category": "Cut pieces / leftovers",
      "decision": "Refrigerate promptly",
      "detail": "Keep at 40\u00b0F (4\u00b0C) or below."
    },
    {
      "category": "Too long out of the cold",
      "decision": "Discard the cut fruit",
      "detail": "Over 2 h; over 1 h if air exceeds 90\u00b0F."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/wellness/2021/07/27/cutting-and-storing-fresh-fruit/",
    "https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely"
  ],
  "footer": [
    "Iowa State Extension; FDA \u00b7 Checked 12 October 2026.",
    "Sourced handling rules; no measured shelf-life experiment."
  ],
  "limitations": "Qualitative guidance; not a measurement of freshness or contamination. Starting condition and handling vary."
}