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.Last updated: 01/19/2010
MMS Ceases OperationsAs announced by Dean Wei, due to the budgetary hardship for the state and the university, the Marketing & Media Services Unit has been eliminated as of January 15, 2010. If you have a UME appointment, please contact Nick Place or Bob Tjaden, otherwise, please contact Loc Hoang. We will try to help you as much as we can. This web site will be removed on April 15, 2010. Thank you for your understanding. |
Creativity Defines Rhodes, Marshall Finalist
Sara Peitzmeier, ANSC undergraduate working in Dr. Ian Mather's lab, was named a finalist for the 2010 Rhodes and Marshall scholarship programs. - posted Jan 29, 2010
AGNR Black History Month Celebration
The celebration kicks off with a reception and then runs all month long with a poster display highlighting faculty, staff & student accomplishments. - posted Jan 22, 2010
Try HGIC's new 'Live Chat' feature!
'Live Chat' now available at HGIC. Chat with the expert horticulturists at the Home and Garden Information Center and get your gardening and pest questions answered!
- posted Jan 12, 2010
