In light of the recent E. coli outbreak, thought to be from raw onions served on quarter pounders from McDonald’s, I decided to write about ways to avoid food contamination. E. coli outbreaks used to come from undercooked meat, but more recently have occurred from produce. Unfortunately, it only takes a few E. coli bacteria to make you ill. This is the first case in which onions have been the source of an E. coli outbreak, although there have been cases of Salmonella outbreaks from onions.
Food-borne illnesses are nothing new. We used to think contamination only occurred from eating out, where other workers prepared our food, but such is not the case. It happens in our homes from store-bought foods that we prepare. Federal regulations and properly training restaurant workers on sanitation and proper cooking temperatures have greatly reduced the incidence of food poisoning.
We can contaminate food by not adequately washing our hands (especially after toileting), not washing produce before preparing (even those with skins to be removed), not properly cleaning work surfaces, or washing cutting boards and utensils well. These are easily remedied.
Consider the distance your food has traveled from harvest to store. The further the journey, the more numerous persons have handled and processed it. This allows more opportunity for food exposure to bacteria, including prewashing, slicing, dicing, and packaging.
Some of the most common sources of contamination include fresh produce - fruits and vegetables. Precut, prewashed, and prepackaged can be particularly risky.
Woman preparing a salad with prepackaged greens. These can be a source of contamination.
Some of the top offenders, according to food safety experts, include:
Bean sprouts
Bagged salad greens
Cantaloupe
Prepackaged spinach
Precut or pre-sliced produce
Fresh, raw, cut fruit that is sitting out for hours
Undercooked meat, poultry, fish, and eggs
Unpasteurized milk
Container with a variety of packaged sprouts. Due to growing technique, sprouts are one of the top foods that can be contaminated with bacteria.
Bags and containers holding leafy greens seal in any bacteria, which can duplicate rapidly.
Sprouts are produced by exposing seeds to warm temperatures in a humid environment. When the seeds sprout, they release nutrients into the water in which they grow, providing food for bacteria to multiply.
Cantaloupe, with its webbed rind, provides an environment where bacteria can easily grow.
Picture of a cantaloupe with its webbed rind. The rind provides a place where bacteria can easily grow and is difficult to adequately wash.
Washing produce lowers your risk factor. Using friction (washing vigorously) under plain running water is recommended, and drying with a clean paper towel. Wash the outside of any produce, regardless of whether the outer layer is removed, since that is where bacteria reside, which can be transferred to the fruit when cutting.
Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and anyone with a compromised immune system are at the highest risk. You cannot avoid all foods responsible for illness outbreaks, but you can reduce your risk of being a victim.
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