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Most food safety assumptions are half-baked
Allison Van Dusen, Forbes.com
When you heard about the recent outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella-tainted tomatoes, odds are you were surprised a mere vegetable was at the heart of the scare.
But experts and data suggest Americans' trust in the safety of their fruits and vegetables may be a little misplaced -- just one of many misconceptions people have about food safety and food-borne disease.
When it comes to foods that pose safety concerns, Americans tend to worry the most about meat, not fresh produce. In fact, a new national study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that, of a representative national sample of 1,500 adults, 82 per cent identified raw fish or sushi and 80 per cent rare or medium-cooked hamburgers as at least somewhat risky. Only 36 per cent of those surveyed found raw fruits and vegetables to be risky.
In 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest reviewed its database of food-borne-illness outbreaks, compiled by sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health departments and scientific journals. The group found that between 1990 and 2003, the foods most commonly linked to outbreaks with identified causes were seafood (899) followed by produce (554), then poultry (476), beef (438) and eggs (329).
"Fresh fruits and vegetables have been one of, if not the most, significant source of food-borne illness in the past decade," says Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety Network at Kansas State University.
Why the disconnect? People tend to think the worst of meat, in particular, due to the number of recent high-profile recalls by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including a November recall of more than 1 million pounds of Cargill Meat Solutions ground beef products, which may have been tainted with E. coli.
Over the past couple of decades, Americans also have been digesting news about cases of mad cow disease popping up in England, Canada and the U.S., says Robert Blendon, professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Public food-safety campaigns also have put far more effort over the years into raising awareness about the dangers of failing to properly handle meat as opposed to fruits and vegetables. In addition, people view fresh produce as wholesome and natural, not as a health threat.
"They pretty much think you wash a fruit or vegetable a little and that's it," Blendon says.
But while washing off produce is a good precaution, it won't necessarily safeguard you from a food-borne illness. Nor will only buying locally grown fruits and vegetables from the farmers' market, says Powell.
At the farm level, produce can be contaminated in a variety of ways, including contact with untreated manure, infected or polluted water, workers with poor hygiene habits or unclean storage or transportation facilities, Powell says. While local farms may use less transportation and fewer workers, the chances for contamination are still there. And since fresh produce is, of course, uncooked, anything that comes into contact with it can taint it. Once E. coli or Salmonella gets inside a leafy green, tomato or sprout, it's hard to get rid of it.
While following recommended safety practices at home certainly may help, consumers need to be vigilant about paying attention to food recalls and removing affected foods from their homes, says Mindy Brashears, director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University.
That's particularly important given that some are still confused about the role cooking can play in preventing food-borne illnesses. Though the majority of those surveyed by the Harvard poll knew that cooking food thoroughly would protect them against Salmonella (68 per cent), and E. coli (61 per cent), 41 per cent of respondents incorrectly believed that cooking would protect them against botulism and 32 per cent thought cooking could protect them from mad cow disease.
No matter what you do, experts say you should never assume you can completely avoid having harmful bacteria turn up on your or your family's dinner plates.
"You can do everything you possibly can," Brashears says, "and it can still happen to you."
Top Misconceptions
From Forbes.com
Most food safety assumptions are half-baked
Allison Van Dusen, Forbes.com
When you heard about the recent outbreak of infections caused by Salmonella-tainted tomatoes, odds are you were surprised a mere vegetable was at the heart of the scare.
But experts and data suggest Americans' trust in the safety of their fruits and vegetables may be a little misplaced -- just one of many misconceptions people have about food safety and food-borne disease.
When it comes to foods that pose safety concerns, Americans tend to worry the most about meat, not fresh produce. In fact, a new national study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that, of a representative national sample of 1,500 adults, 82 per cent identified raw fish or sushi and 80 per cent rare or medium-cooked hamburgers as at least somewhat risky. Only 36 per cent of those surveyed found raw fruits and vegetables to be risky.
In 2006, the Center for Science in the Public Interest reviewed its database of food-borne-illness outbreaks, compiled by sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state health departments and scientific journals. The group found that between 1990 and 2003, the foods most commonly linked to outbreaks with identified causes were seafood (899) followed by produce (554), then poultry (476), beef (438) and eggs (329).
"Fresh fruits and vegetables have been one of, if not the most, significant source of food-borne illness in the past decade," says Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety Network at Kansas State University.
Why the disconnect? People tend to think the worst of meat, in particular, due to the number of recent high-profile recalls by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, including a November recall of more than 1 million pounds of Cargill Meat Solutions ground beef products, which may have been tainted with E. coli.
Over the past couple of decades, Americans also have been digesting news about cases of mad cow disease popping up in England, Canada and the U.S., says Robert Blendon, professor of Health Policy and Political Analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Public food-safety campaigns also have put far more effort over the years into raising awareness about the dangers of failing to properly handle meat as opposed to fruits and vegetables. In addition, people view fresh produce as wholesome and natural, not as a health threat.
"They pretty much think you wash a fruit or vegetable a little and that's it," Blendon says.
But while washing off produce is a good precaution, it won't necessarily safeguard you from a food-borne illness. Nor will only buying locally grown fruits and vegetables from the farmers' market, says Powell.
At the farm level, produce can be contaminated in a variety of ways, including contact with untreated manure, infected or polluted water, workers with poor hygiene habits or unclean storage or transportation facilities, Powell says. While local farms may use less transportation and fewer workers, the chances for contamination are still there. And since fresh produce is, of course, uncooked, anything that comes into contact with it can taint it. Once E. coli or Salmonella gets inside a leafy green, tomato or sprout, it's hard to get rid of it.
While following recommended safety practices at home certainly may help, consumers need to be vigilant about paying attention to food recalls and removing affected foods from their homes, says Mindy Brashears, director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University.
That's particularly important given that some are still confused about the role cooking can play in preventing food-borne illnesses. Though the majority of those surveyed by the Harvard poll knew that cooking food thoroughly would protect them against Salmonella (68 per cent), and E. coli (61 per cent), 41 per cent of respondents incorrectly believed that cooking would protect them against botulism and 32 per cent thought cooking could protect them from mad cow disease.
No matter what you do, experts say you should never assume you can completely avoid having harmful bacteria turn up on your or your family's dinner plates.
"You can do everything you possibly can," Brashears says, "and it can still happen to you."
Top Misconceptions
From Forbes.com
- That You Can Wash It All Off
While thoroughly washing fruits and vegetable with cold water before eating, cutting or cooking may remove some bacteria, it won't get rid of everything. Raw bean, alfalfa, clover or radish sprouts, for instance, can pose a health risk because the seeds from which sprouts are derived may become contaminated by animals in the field or during storage.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e] - That Local Means Safe
Just because you buy your tomatoes from a local farm rather than a large retailer doesn't necessarily mean they're safe. Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety Network at Kansas State University, says it's more important to ask whether a farm is located near a high concentration of wildlife, what type of fertilizer is used, what water source is used and how often it is tested and what hygiene practices were used during the harvesting, storage and transportation processes.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e] - That Fruits And Vegetables Are Safer Than Meat Products
Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the most significant sources of food-borne illnesses in the U.S. today, says Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety Network at Kansas State University. Because fresh produce is, of course, not cooked, anything that comes into contact with it can contaminate it. Once pathogens get on or inside spinach, lettuce and tomatoes, they're hard to remove.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e] - That It Won't Happen To You
Food-borne diseases cause an estimated 76 million illnesses and 5,000 deaths each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also estimates that around 2% to 3% of all food-borne-illness cases lead to secondary long-term illnesses. E. coli O157:H7, for instance, can cause kidney failure in young children.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e] - That Cooking Kills Everything
A new study by the Harvard School of Public Health shows that, of 1,500 adults interviewed, 41% incorrectly said they thought cooking could protect against botulism and one-third said cooking could protect against mad cow disease.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e] - That A Meat Thermometer Isn't Necessary
Having trouble telling when poultry juice is really running clear or how brown your meat should look before it's done? Instead of guessing, experts recommend using a food thermometer. It's the only surefire way to know if you've cooked meat, poultry and egg dishes to a safe internal temperature.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e] - That Food Left Out Is Harmless
All perishable foods--such as meat, poultry, eggs and casseroles--should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. (If it's 90 degrees or hotter, you should throw out the food after one hour.) If mishandled, these types of foods can make you sick.[/*:m:1g8y4r0e]
