Cantaloupe
The dirt: When the FDA sampled domestically grown cantaloupe, it found that 3.5 percent of the melons carried Salmonella and Shigella, the latter a bacteria normally passed person-to-person. Among imported cantaloupe, 7 percent tested positive for both bugs. And because you eat melons raw, the bacteria go right down your gullet. That’s a big part of the reason why from 1990 to 2001, produce in general has sickened as many people as have beef and poultry combined.
At the grocery store: Dents or bruising on the fruit can provide a path in for pathogens. But don’t think precut cantaloupe is safer. “I’ve been in several grocery stores where the produce was cut by personnel who didn’t wash their hands after handling eggs and other items,” says Anderson.
At home: Because cantaloupe grows on the ground and has a netted exterior, it’s easy for Salmonella to sneak on, and once on, it’s hard to clean off. Scrub the fruit with a dab of mild dishwashing liquid for 15 to 30 seconds under running water. And make sure you buy a scrub brush that you use exclusively to clean fruits and vegetables; otherwise, it could become cross-contaminated.
Peaches
The dirt: Being pretty as a peach comes at a price. The fruit is doused with pesticides in the weeks prior to harvest to ensure blemish-free skin. By the time it arrives in your produce department, the typical peach can be coated with up to nine different pesticides, according to USDA sampling. And while apples tote a wider variety of pesticides, the sheer amount and strength of those on peaches sets the fuzzy fruit apart. On an index of pesticide toxicity devised by Consumers Union, peaches rank highest.
At the grocery store: Fill your plastic produce bag with peaches that wear a “USDA Organic” sticker. And since apples, grapes, pears, and green beans occupy top spots on the Toxicity Index, too, you may want to opt for organic here as well. Just know that organic produce also contains some pesticide residues, but in minuscule amounts.
At home: “A lot of produce has a natural wax coating that holds pesticides, so wash with a sponge or scrub brush and a dab of mild dishwashing detergent. This can eliminate more than half of the residues,” says Edward Groth III, Ph.D., a senior scientist with Consumers Union. Got kids? Play it extra safe, and wash and pare peaches, apples, and pears.
Lettuce
The dirt: The lettuce on a burger could cause you more grief than the beef. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, lettuce accounted for 11 percent of reported food-poisoning outbreaks linked to produce from 1990 to 2002, and “salad” accounted for 28 percent.
At the grocery store: Prepackaged salad mix is not inherently more hazardous than loose greens or a head of lettuce. It’s the claims of being “triple washed” that lull consumers into complacency. “Just because something is wrapped in cellophane doesn’t mean it’s free of pathogens,” says J. Glenn Morris, M.D., chairman of epidemiology and preventive medicine at the University of Maryland school of medicine.
At home: Rinse salad greens one leaf at a time under running water before eating. Beware of cross-contamination, too. “People know it’s risky to put salad in the same colander they washed chicken in,” says Anderson, “but they think nothing of touching a towel used to wipe up poultry juice, then making a salad.”
Cold Cuts
The dirt: Cold cuts have been labeled at “high risk” of causing listeriosis by a joint team of researchers from the USDA, FDA, and CDC. While only 3 percent of the deli meats sampled contained Listeria at the point of purchase, the bacteria’s rapid growth rate on cuts stored even under ideal conditions concerned researchers. Combine that with the fact that cold cuts are, well, eaten cold, and you’ve got trouble; Listeria thrives at refrigerator temperatures that stun other foodborne pathogens.
At the grocery store: The most likely source of Listeria-contaminated cold cuts is the deli slicer. Without regular cleaning, the blade can transfer bacteria from roast beef to turkey to pastrami and back. But aside from asking the clerk to stop and clean the slicer before handling your order, the best you can do is avoid delis that are obviously dirty and stick with those that are annoyingly busy. Meats that rotate through a deli quickly have less opportunity to bloom with Listeria.
At home: Skip the sniff test and trash whatever meat you haven’t eaten in a week. When you’re ready to build your sandwich, slather on the mustard. Researchers at Washington State University killed off 90 percent of three potent pathogens—Listeria, E. coli, and Salmonella—within 2 hours of exposing them to a mustard compound.
Scallions (Green Onions)
The dirt: Scallions play a bit part in most dishes, but a little goes a long way, as evidenced by the massive hepatitis A outbreak at that Chi-Chi’s in 2003. Dirty scallions have also triggered small hep A outbreaks in Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Other bugs known to have grabbed a ride on green onions include the parasite Cryptosporidium, Shigella, and the ever-present Salmonella.
At the grocery store: Buy refrigerated scallions; room temperature can trigger a bacterial explosion.
At home: Turn on your faucet full force to blast away visible dirt. As you rinse, remove the outer sheath to expose lingering microorganisms, but realize that any step short of thorough cooking is only a partial solution. “More and more,” says Caroline Smith DeWaal, director of food safety at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, “pathogens are entering produce like scallions at a cellular level.”
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The 7 Dirtiest Foods You Eat Every Day was originally published on blackdoctor.org
