|
Vegetables – Health Food Or Killers
With the recent outbreak of e-coli traced back to bagged spinach
of all
things, the FDA now suggests consumers thoroughly wash all bagged
produce
(including salad) before consuming it to avoid the extreme diarrhea
e-coli
bacterial can cause.
The e-coli bacteria can be found in any raw or undercooked foods.
Most
often outbreaks are linked to undercooked meat, or unsafe handling
of raw
meat, particularly ground beef. What was up until now less well
known is
that e-coli can also be found on fresh produce like fruits and
vegetables.
E-coli bacteria cause severe diarrhea often with bloody stool and
can
cause kidney failure and possible death. The old and the young are
particularly prone to extreme cases of the infection. If you suspect
you
have been infected with e-coli, contact your physician right away.
E-coli naturally occurs in the intestines of animals like cows and
chickens. As these animals are slaughtered and processed, traces of
the
bacteria can come into contact with the meat. Ground beef seems to
be
especially prone to getting contaminated. To kill any e-coli (or
other
bacteria for that matter) that may have “snuck in”, cook all meat to
an
internal temperature of at least 160 F.
So, how does this same bacteria get into our salad, veggies and
fruit?
Manure is often used as a natural fertilizer and gets’ stuck on the
outside of the vegetables and fruits as they grow and are harvested.
Produce is cleaned off before it’s bagged and shipped to you, but
that
doesn’t necessarily mean all the bacteria are gone.
In particular vegetables including salad that are bagged provide a
perfect
growing environment for the e-coli bacteria. The bag ensures that
there is
always some moisture around the produce that allows the e-coli to
multiply.
The recent outbreak of e-coli in bagged spinach along with previous
outbreaks in bagged salad mixes and even containers of strawberries
makes
you wonder if we should just avoid all prepackaged and bagged
produce.
Fortunately we don’t have to go that far, but we should get in the
habit
of properly preparing those foods.
Salad and vegetables mixes in bags are often pre-washed and sold as
“ready
to serve”. Take a few minutes and rinse them with warm water,
followed by a
splash of cold water to avoid cooking the spinach or salad. Use
plenty of
warm water on hardier vegetables such as tomatoes or carrots and
don’t
forget to wash fruit with plenty of water as well, especially
strawberries. Strawberries grow very low to the ground and are often
fertilized with manure or are grown on soil that was previously
fertilized
that way. Since the berries grow practically directly on top of the
soil,
it is easy for the e-coli to catch a ride on the fruit directly into
your
home.
Washing raw fruit and vegetables with plenty of warm water should
get rid
of most of the bacteria, making it safe to eat. Make it a habit to
wash
your produce whether the packaging indicates it’s pre-washed or not.
It
will only take a few minutes and could prevent you from getting sick
in
the long run.
Susanne Myers is the co-publisher of the Healthy Menu Mailer, a
weekly
recipe and menu mailer that’s all about eating healthy. Join us for
a free
7-day sneak peak at healthy menu mailer.
|
