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Food Poisoning Info
Nov. 25th, 2018 04:24 pmhttps://www.rd.com/health/wellness/food-poisoning-causes/1/
Fact: You’ll kill the same amount of bacteria whether you use one spray or four. It’s more important to make sure every surface that could have been exposed to bacteria has been thoroughly cleaned. FoodSafety.gov recommends using one teaspoon of liquid bleach to one quart of water. You should also clean utensils and cutting boards after each use to prevent the spread of bacteria and germs, especially when handling raw meat.
Fact: You can absolutely get sick from an orange or cucumber, even if you peel it. Chemicals and bacteria can be transferred from the peel or rind to the inside of your fruits and veggies when cutting them. Be sure to always thoroughly wash all your produce, regardless of how you plan to eat it. But skip the dish soap, which can linger on foods and make them unsafe to eat.
Fact: You can absolutely get sick from an orange or cucumber, even if you peel it. Chemicals and bacteria can be transferred from the peel or rind to the inside of your fruits and veggies when cutting them. Be sure to always thoroughly wash all your produce, regardless of how you plan to eat it. But skip the dish soap, which can linger on foods and make them unsafe to eat.
Myth: It's OK to eat food that's been left out, as long as I heat it up
Fact: If you want to make yourself sick, then go right ahead. But some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and Bacillus cereus produce toxins that aren't destroyed by reheating, no matter how high the temperature. Always throw out food that's been left on the counter for more than two hours, and beware of these common foods; hamburgers*, steak, grilled chicken, ribs, melons**, potato salad, tuna salad***, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, unwashed berries; that could easily give you food poisoning.
*“If you’re incorporating herbs or spices and overwork it, you could easily squish out air pockets,” she says. “Those little pockets will trap juices.” She also recommends searing the patty first to lock the juices in, then moving the patty to a medium heat to finish cooking.
**Even though you don’t eat the rind, you still need to wash off any bacteria lurking on the outside of your watermelon or cantaloupe before cutting into it. “Any time you’re going to cut through the rind and through the center, you contaminate every edible surface as it passes through,” Dr. Mills says. To prevent yourself from getting overeager and cutting right in when you’re ready to eat, she recommends washing your melon as soon as you’re home before storing it in the fridge.
***When throwing a tuna salad together, you probably grab the can of tuna from the pantry, toss it with the rest of the ingredients, and head to your picnic. But because the can is starting at room temperature, your salad won’t be cold and you’ll already be headed for trouble, Nelken says. “Refrigerate all ingredients the night before, so when you make the salad in the morning they’re nice and cold,” he says. Better yet, make the entire dish ahead of time, and leave it in the fridge overnight so the flavors can blend.
Fact: You’ll kill the same amount of bacteria whether you use one spray or four. It’s more important to make sure every surface that could have been exposed to bacteria has been thoroughly cleaned. FoodSafety.gov recommends using one teaspoon of liquid bleach to one quart of water. You should also clean utensils and cutting boards after each use to prevent the spread of bacteria and germs, especially when handling raw meat.
Fact: You can absolutely get sick from an orange or cucumber, even if you peel it. Chemicals and bacteria can be transferred from the peel or rind to the inside of your fruits and veggies when cutting them. Be sure to always thoroughly wash all your produce, regardless of how you plan to eat it. But skip the dish soap, which can linger on foods and make them unsafe to eat.
Fact: You can absolutely get sick from an orange or cucumber, even if you peel it. Chemicals and bacteria can be transferred from the peel or rind to the inside of your fruits and veggies when cutting them. Be sure to always thoroughly wash all your produce, regardless of how you plan to eat it. But skip the dish soap, which can linger on foods and make them unsafe to eat.
Myth: It's OK to eat food that's been left out, as long as I heat it up
Fact: If you want to make yourself sick, then go right ahead. But some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and Bacillus cereus produce toxins that aren't destroyed by reheating, no matter how high the temperature. Always throw out food that's been left on the counter for more than two hours, and beware of these common foods; hamburgers*, steak, grilled chicken, ribs, melons**, potato salad, tuna salad***, macaroni salad, deviled eggs, unwashed berries; that could easily give you food poisoning.
*“If you’re incorporating herbs or spices and overwork it, you could easily squish out air pockets,” she says. “Those little pockets will trap juices.” She also recommends searing the patty first to lock the juices in, then moving the patty to a medium heat to finish cooking.
**Even though you don’t eat the rind, you still need to wash off any bacteria lurking on the outside of your watermelon or cantaloupe before cutting into it. “Any time you’re going to cut through the rind and through the center, you contaminate every edible surface as it passes through,” Dr. Mills says. To prevent yourself from getting overeager and cutting right in when you’re ready to eat, she recommends washing your melon as soon as you’re home before storing it in the fridge.
***When throwing a tuna salad together, you probably grab the can of tuna from the pantry, toss it with the rest of the ingredients, and head to your picnic. But because the can is starting at room temperature, your salad won’t be cold and you’ll already be headed for trouble, Nelken says. “Refrigerate all ingredients the night before, so when you make the salad in the morning they’re nice and cold,” he says. Better yet, make the entire dish ahead of time, and leave it in the fridge overnight so the flavors can blend.
