Top 10 Most Hazardous Foods~ Eat at Your Own Risk

Eat these foods at your own risk. Be sure the establishment from which you procure your food is a clean and reputable distributor and service provider.

When you think of “dangerous” food, it probably conjures up images of eating slugs and bugs on “Survivor.” But most of the estimated 76 million Americans who experience food borne illnesses each year are sickened by nothing more exotic than fruit, vegetables, grilled chicken or coleslaw at a summer picnic.

Alfalfa Sprouts
The danger: “Sprouts are at the top of the list when it comes to potential problems,” says Michael Doyle, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia. “The conditions for producing sprouts promote the growth of harmful bacteria.” In order to grow sprouts, the seeds are soaked and kept moist—a prime breeding ground for bacteria (salmonella is the most common illness associated with sprouts).

The safer solution: While Doyle reports that some researchers are looking at ways to test the water in which sprouts are grown in order to identify batches that are contaminated, it is not yet a foolproof system, and recalls and illness outbreaks are still common. Growing sprouts yourself at home is also no guarantee of safety—the same conditions that breed bacteria in commercial sprouts can exist no matter how careful you are. Washing sprouts does not clean away harmful bacteria, so the only way to guarantee safety is to cook them. “Unfortunately, when you cook them, they pretty much disappear,” says Ruth Frechman, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, who nonetheless mixes sprouts into cooked soups and stir-fries

Cantaloupe
The danger: A recent recall of cantaloupe imported from Honduras because of salmonella contamination has focused attention on the melon. The rind that encases the fruit may harbor the bacteria, but it is easily transferred to the edible flesh inside once it’s cut up.

The safer solution: Doyle reports that some producers treat the exterior of melons with steam to kill the bacteria without affecting the inside of the fruit. But there’s no way to know if you are getting one of these treated melons. Washing the skin may help, but with so many cracks and crevices in the rind, it’s not necessarily an effective solution. You can be careful with the way cut-up cantaloupe is stored (at home or at the store). “Harmful bacteria can thrive and multiply at room temperature,” say Doyle, so he recommends steering clear of any cut fruit that isn’t kept refrigerated.


Salad Bar Fixings
The danger: It may be the ultimate in convenience to swing by the salad bar and choose from a wide array of ingredients that are all chopped up and ready to mix into a customized meal. But letting someone else do all the prep work can result in some unhealthy surprises. “The biggest factors contributing to potentially unsafe salad bar food are foods that aren’t kept hot or cold enough, handling of food by workers with poor hygiene, and refilling partially used containers of perishable food with fresh food,” says Doyle.

The safer solution: Be sure your salad bar food is kept at the proper temps (cold food kept cold, hot ones heated sufficiently), that workers practice safe food handling, and that enough people buy food there to keep the supplies fresh. Also, Frechman cautions against salad bars that don’t have a “sneeze guard” to protect the food from airborne bacteria.


Read about the other Top 10 Most Hazardous Foods by Sally Wadyka