The 5 dirtiest foods

Dantheman62 · 12-17-2008, 03:01 PM

How would you rate your food-safety IQ? I know someone who never washes their fruits and vegetables after bringing them home from the market because he believes that they're washed at the store. Um, no. Read on to learn about what some call the "5 dirtiest foods" and for a food safety wake-up call...

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The dirty food list, according to this fascinating piece I found over at AOL Health include the following:

Eggs: While most eggs aren't going to make anyone sick, experts estimate that more than 2 million germy eggs (as in Salmonella infected) get into circulation each year, sickening 660,000 people each year and killing as many as 300. Um, maybe we should think twice about eating that cookie dough (or, judging by our conversation on Vitamin G, perhaps you'd rather take your chances?). How to buy cleaner eggs? Make sure the carton says they're pasteurized and never buy a dozen that contains any obvious cracks or leaks.

Peaches: They're pretty, but that's just skin-deep. Health experts warn that peach skins are doused in pesticides before they make it to grocery store to prevent blemishes. On average, a peach can contain as many as nine different pesticides, according to the USDA. This is one fruit you might want to buy organic (which may have blemishes, but won't have pesticides). (Here's How Peaches Can Help You Build Muscle.)

Pre-packaged salad mixes: Surprise! "Triple washed" doesn't mean germ-free say experts. Pathogens may still be lurking so be sure to wash your greens before tossing in your salad bowl. (Don't make these salad mistakes!)

Melons: Get ready to be grossed out. According to the article, "when the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs." Ewww. Your best bet: Scrub your melons with a little mild dish soap and warm water before slicing. (Stay healthy with these delicious winter fruits!)

Scallions: Blamed for several recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, and other bugs like the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella and Salmonella, scallions present a food safety problem because of the way they grow (in the dirt) and lack of proper washing. While you can't control what happens in restaurant kitchens, you can give them a super-duper washing at home before cooking with.

Other dirty foods in the article include chicken, ground beef and turkey, raw oysters, and cold cuts. Click here to read 5 more.

The bottom line: Don't be afraid to eat these foods, just be aware of the precautions you need to take before enjoying them. Most food-borne illnesses are the result of hygiene carelessness somewhere in the food chain. Protect yourself!

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/healt...-foods-327375/

sunflower · 12-17-2008, 03:07 PM

Ouch...never thought about the cookie dough or the cake batter.

Dantheman62 · 12-17-2008, 03:12 PM

Yeah I thought the prepackaged salad mixes (which I don't buy) that said "triple washed" well, meant triple washed! lol!

futureyes · 12-17-2008, 03:47 PM

good to know ...

cold cuts, always a scary one, majority of what's in them can't be deciphered ... ewwww ...

mntruthseeker · 12-17-2008, 03:50 PM

My mother drove me nuts washing all the fruits and vegies. I will not wash off all the flavor like I swear she did. I use a spray mist of peroxide and water to wash them down.

It actually adds oxygen to them and they stay fresher longer.

Good post Dan

SamWhiteHopi · 12-18-2008, 01:12 PM

After watching children with runny noses playing around with fruit and vegetables at the super markets I make pretty sure I thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, even the net bagged oranges. Many adults don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet also. So you never know who and what has touch what you’re eating. But even before what I have personally witnessed my grandparents and mother always washed the food very thoroughly as well as their hands before preparing food of any sort.

Even straws provided at take-aways have to be scrutinized! Once I saw a child whose mother had placed on a counter take a straw and was mouthing all over it, then she put it back into the straw depositor. Eeek!! I hate eating out not knowing how the food or utensils may have been, or not been, cleaned.

Thanks for the post, Dantheman62.

12-17-2008, 03:01 PM	#1
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	The 5 dirtiest foods How would you rate your food-safety IQ? I know someone who never washes their fruits and vegetables after bringing them home from the market because he believes that they're washed at the store. Um, no. Read on to learn about what some call the "5 dirtiest foods" and for a food safety wake-up call... **** The dirty food list, according to this fascinating piece I found over at AOL Health include the following: Eggs: While most eggs aren't going to make anyone sick, experts estimate that more than 2 million germy eggs (as in Salmonella infected) get into circulation each year, sickening 660,000 people each year and killing as many as 300. Um, maybe we should think twice about eating that cookie dough (or, judging by our conversation on Vitamin G, perhaps you'd rather take your chances?). How to buy cleaner eggs? Make sure the carton says they're pasteurized and never buy a dozen that contains any obvious cracks or leaks. Peaches: They're pretty, but that's just skin-deep. Health experts warn that peach skins are doused in pesticides before they make it to grocery store to prevent blemishes. On average, a peach can contain as many as nine different pesticides, according to the USDA. This is one fruit you might want to buy organic (which may have blemishes, but won't have pesticides). (Here's How Peaches Can Help You Build Muscle.) Pre-packaged salad mixes: Surprise! "Triple washed" doesn't mean germ-free say experts. Pathogens may still be lurking so be sure to wash your greens before tossing in your salad bowl. (Don't make these salad mistakes!) Melons: Get ready to be grossed out. According to the article, "when the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs." Ewww. Your best bet: Scrub your melons with a little mild dish soap and warm water before slicing. (Stay healthy with these delicious winter fruits!) Scallions: Blamed for several recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A, and other bugs like the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella and Salmonella, scallions present a food safety problem because of the way they grow (in the dirt) and lack of proper washing. While you can't control what happens in restaurant kitchens, you can give them a super-duper washing at home before cooking with. Other dirty foods in the article include chicken, ground beef and turkey, raw oysters, and cold cuts. Click here to read 5 more. The bottom line: Don't be afraid to eat these foods, just be aware of the precautions you need to take before enjoying them. Most food-borne illnesses are the result of hygiene carelessness somewhere in the food chain. Protect yourself! http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/healt...-foods-327375/

12-17-2008, 03:07 PM	#2
sunflower Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 443	Re: The 5 dirtiest foods Ouch...never thought about the cookie dough or the cake batter.

12-17-2008, 03:12 PM	#3
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: The 5 dirtiest foods Yeah I thought the prepackaged salad mixes (which I don't buy) that said "triple washed" well, meant triple washed! lol!

12-17-2008, 03:47 PM	#4
futureyes Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: heart central Posts: 798	Re: The 5 dirtiest foods good to know ... cold cuts, always a scary one, majority of what's in them can't be deciphered ... ewwww ...

12-17-2008, 03:50 PM	#5
mntruthseeker Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,482	Re: The 5 dirtiest foods My mother drove me nuts washing all the fruits and vegies. I will not wash off all the flavor like I swear she did. I use a spray mist of peroxide and water to wash them down. It actually adds oxygen to them and they stay fresher longer. Good post Dan

12-18-2008, 01:12 PM	#6
SamWhiteHopi Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: N.T. Australia Posts: 31	Re: The 5 dirtiest foods After watching children with runny noses playing around with fruit and vegetables at the super markets I make pretty sure I thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, even the net bagged oranges. Many adults don’t wash their hands after going to the toilet also. So you never know who and what has touch what you’re eating. But even before what I have personally witnessed my grandparents and mother always washed the food very thoroughly as well as their hands before preparing food of any sort. Even straws provided at take-aways have to be scrutinized! Once I saw a child whose mother had placed on a counter take a straw and was mouthing all over it, then she put it back into the straw depositor. Eeek!! I hate eating out not knowing how the food or utensils may have been, or not been, cleaned. Thanks for the post, Dantheman62.