Fruits and Veggies Cause More Food-Borne Illness Than Meats and Dairy Products
When most people think of food poisoning, their minds automatically turn to spoiled meat or shellfish. However, “food-borne illnesses” recent CDC studies have shown that produce causes more food-borne illnesses than meats, dairy products, or fish and shellfish.
The reason for this isn’t exactly clear, but there are several factors that likely contribute to produce causing more illnesses than meats and other foods. We’ve taken a look at some of these possible causes and the studies behind them and have compiled a list of easy tips for reducing your risk of illness from produce.
Raw Is Risky
Produce is often served raw. While meats, fish, shellfish, and many dairy products are processed or cooked to some degree, most produce is consumed without cooking it. Fruits and vegetables served raw should be thoroughly washed. If you’re buying produce from a farmers’ market or grocery store, eating it right from the bag is not a healthy idea. Take the time to wash all of the produce you buy before consuming it.
While washing produce before eating it is always a wise choice, sometimes is simply isn’t enough to thoroughly remove dangerous bacteria. Some of the processes that farms use to clean their produce actually wind up trapping harmful bacteria within the produce.
Cross-contamination is also a major factor in food-borne illnesses contracted from produce. Some fruits and vegetables grow in environments that are also conducive to bacterial growth. If those fruits or vegetables aren’t cooked before eating, whoever is consuming them may also be eating harmful bacteria from the produce’s growing environment.
Health Conscious Choices
Americans are growing more health conscious, which has led to the increased level of fresh food purchases in the country. More and more people are buying fresh produce from smaller companies and local farmers. While this is great for local business, and it’s hard to find any negative things to note about a trend toward a healthier life, when people eat more produce, it simply translates to more food-borne illness.
American diets are also trending toward more organic choices, less processed foods, and more produce in general. This means people need to be increasingly mindful of their food choices and taking adequate care in washing the produce they eat. Some tips for lowering your risk of food-borne illnesses from produce include:
Check the produce that you buy for signs of wilting, bruises, or other damage.
Keep your produce stored away from meats and seafood, and transport them from the grocery store in separate bags.
Any prepared, pre-cut, or pre-sliced produce should be refrigerated or frozen.
Store any perishable produce in the refrigerator below 40°F. Regularly clean your refrigerator. Most refrigerator drawers can be easily removed for cleaning and rinsing.
Wash all produce thoroughly before preparing or eating it. You can even purchase special produce brushes to clean firmer produce such as melons, apples, and cucumbers. This will help remove any dirt deposits and other bacteria that may remain after rinsing with water.
Remove any damaged or bruised sections of your produce before eating it.
If possible, use separate utensils for preparing meats and produce. If you need to use the same dishes or utensils for both, always wash them thoroughly with hot and soapy water between uses.
Although food poisoning may be more commonly caused by eating produce compared to other cooked foods, the benefits of a healthy, produce-rich diet far outweigh the risk of food poisoning. Keep the above tips in mind to reduce the risk as much as possible in the future, and if you think you may have contracted any food-borne illness, seek medical attention immediately.