Questions About Food Safety
Is the American food supply safe?
It's obvious our food supply is quite safe, when you consider there are about 300 million people in this country, most of whom eat a couple of meals each day and only rarely get sick from their food. Could the American food supply be safer? I think it's evident from the recent outbreaks that it certainly could be safer.Should bagged salad greens be washed before eating?
To be on the safe side, yes. Even though many companies say their salad greens are triple washed it is still a good idea for consumers to put the spinach, lettuce, etc., in a colander and run it under cold running water. This should help to further remove any bacteria that may be present.But will washing remove all pathogens?
Not necessarily. Bacteria can form "biofilms" on the surface of vegetables, which adhere fairly tightly and are difficult to remove by washing. If there are bruises on the vegetables, bacteria could become trapped in the nooks and crannies and will be even more difficult to remove. Bacteria can also enter a vegetable at the openings where the vegetable was cut or harvested in the field. Washing will probably help further reduce whatever bacteria may be present, but it's no guarantee that all bacteria will be removed.So is it safe to eat uncooked, bagged salad greens?
If you're a reasonably healthy adult, your chance of getting sick from eating bagged salad is extremely small. However, until we learn more about how to prevent salad greens from getting contaminated on the farm in the first place, I would be cautious about serving uncooked vegetables to vulnerable population groups: young children, older seniors, pregnant women, anyone with a weakened immune system. That's because whereas a healthy adult may only get mild symptoms (cramps, diarrhea) of short duration, the same amount of bacteria ingested by a vulnerable person can be life-threatening and have long-lasting medical consequences.Are cooked vegetables safe?
Yes, heating a food to 160 degrees F for 15 seconds (well below boiling) will destroy E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens.What about using a detergent to wash vegetables?
As of now, detergents or other types of cleaning or sanitizing products aren't being recommended for washing fruits and vegetables as there are not enough data regarding their safety and effectiveness. I suspect that industry is busy trying to come up with new products that will safely and effectively remove pathogenic bacteria from fresh fruits and vegetables. I won't be surprised to see new types of produce cleaning products coming onto the marketplace in the foreseeable future.Why are companies producing unsafe products? Why don't they do more to assure safety?
No company wants to make people sick. If for no other reason, the bad publicity surrounding a product recall or a foodborne disease outbreak could mean financial ruin—loss of sales, lawsuits, etc. Unfortunately, we don't live in a zero-risk world, and I think that consumers have to accept that eating—just like every other activity in life—has certain risks associated with it.What else can consumers do?
Common mistakes are not using a refrigerator thermometer to monitor the temperature inside the refrigerator (it should be below 40 degrees F) and not keeping the refrigerator and kitchen areas clean. Consumers can make a home-made sanitizer by simply dissolving 1 teaspoon of household bleach in 1 quart of lukewarm water, and this can be sprayed on counters, cutting boards, kitchen tables, and chairs, etc. And obviously, washing your hands frequently while preparing food is very important.For more information, contact Ginny Gerhart
Last updated: 03/9/2009