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When it comes to milk you may use the sniff test to tell you whether it's turned sour. Or, maybe you're warned off ground beef that's been in the fridge for a few days by its unpalatable color. However, it may be more difficult to tell whether fresh fruits and vegetables are contaminated with pathogens. After all, spinach can smell sweet and still harbor E. coli bacteria, which was the case in 2006.
Produce contamination is a relatively new problem.
"Previously we didn't consider fresh produce as an area of concern," says Catherine H. Strohbehn, PhD, registered dietitian.
Either fruits and vegetables didn't have enough nutrients for bacteria to thrive or the produce was so acidic bacteria couldn't grow, according to Strohbehn, Adjunct Associate Processor and Extension Specialist, Iowa State University Extension, Ames.
That's no longer the case. As the recent outbreak of salmonella, linked first to tomatoes, then to salsa, shows, fruits and vegetables can harbor bacteria.
A number of factors make it more possible--though still very unlikely--for produce to become contaminated.
Crops in the field may come into contact with animal waste, food processors may introduce harmful bacteria or you yourself may unwittingly infest your dinner salad.
Despite the potential risks, health experts want you to eat fresh veggies. Here are some steps you can take to eliminate pathogens from the dinner table.
Keep produce cold, in the supermarket and in the home. It's is one of the most important precautions you can take, say food safety experts.
Refrigeration doesn't kill bacteria, but the low temperatures keep it from multiplying or thriving, says Paul L. Dawson, Ph.D, professor of food science and human nutrition at Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
A recent experiment on bagged salads shows the problem. When lettuce is packaged with low oxygen levels designed to extend the shelf life, then stored at 59 degrees, bacteria become hardier, according to new research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To prevent this, the USDA recommends keeping bagged lettuce refrigerated at 40 degrees or below.
If you're buying cut-up produce make sure it's kept chilled and has a fast turnover in the produce department, says Aurora A. Saulo, Ph.D., member of the Institute of Food Technologists, Chicago.
At home refrigerate cut-up produce immediately.
"Some bacteria can grow between 41 and 135 degrees. Fruit salad shouldn't sit out on the counter," Strohbehn says.
When making your selection, avoid produce that's bruised or has cuts.
"A break in the skin creates an entry that can allow microorganisms in," says Saulo, extension specialist in food technology, University of Hawaii, Manoa.
At home, wash produce thoroughly to reduce the bacteria counts.
If you're buying leaf lettuce by the bunch discard the outer leaves. Wash lettuce to the core where bacteria gathers, Strohbehn says.
You don't have to buy expensive chemical washes for fruits and vegetables.
"I use water. You can add soap to the job," Dawson says.
Make sure you're not the germ carrier.
"Wash your hands properly. A quick splash and dash isn't effective," Strohbehn says.
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