{"id":118502,"date":"2024-10-26T07:42:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-26T00:42:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118502"},"modified":"2024-10-26T07:42:48","modified_gmt":"2024-10-26T00:42:48","slug":"what-food-safety-experts-steer-clear-of-to-avoid-e-coli","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118502","title":{"rendered":"What food safety experts steer clear of to avoid E. coli"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"summary-box\" data-testid=\"summary-box\">\n<div class=\"summary-box__content\">\n<h2 class=\"summary-box__headline\">The Summary<\/h2>\n<ul class=\"summary-box__items\">\n<li>Amid the E. coli outbreak believed to be linked to onions served at McDonald\u2019s, food safety experts say some types of fresh produce carry extra risk.<\/li>\n<li>Many avoid eating alfalfa or bean sprouts, as well as packaged salad greens and cantaloupe.<\/li>\n<li>Precut and prewashed produce can be especially risky, they said.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"\">An E. coli outbreak that has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/illnesses-linked-mcdonalds-e-coli-outbreak-rise-75-cdc-says-rcna177260\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sickened at least 75, killing one<\/a>, is a reminder of the contamination risk that can plague certain types of fresh produce, according to food safety experts.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The four professors said they routinely avoid particular raw fruits and vegetables themselves, such as sprouts, bagged salad greens and cantaloupe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Though the investigation is ongoing, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/mcdonalds-zeroes-onions-likely-source-deadly-e-coli-outbreak-rcna176851\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">federal officials suspect prewashed, slivered onions<\/a> that were served raw on McDonald\u2019s Quarter Pounders are the likely source of the E. coli outbreak. For those who specialize in foodborne illness prevention, the news was not a surprise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Don Schaffner, a professor of food science at Rutgers University, said that the more food is handled and processed on its journey from the farm to a restaurant or grocery store, the more opportunities there are to introduce or spread bacteria. That includes slicing, prewashing or adding ingredients.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThe more manipulation you do, certainly the more places there are for things to go wrong,\u201d Schaffner said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">By nature, when fruits and vegetables are served uncooked, there\u2019s no opportunity to heat away bacteria. This has contributed to past E. coli outbreaks linked to produce, including a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafetynews.com\/2009\/09\/meaningful-outbreak-7-dole-spinach-e-coli-outbreak\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2006 outbreak in prepackaged baby spinach<\/a> that sickened over 200 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/news-events\/fda-brief\/fda-brief-fda-issues-new-draft-guidance-improve-safety-seeds-sprouting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dozens of instances of E. coli<\/a> and other foodborne illnesses that have been associated with contaminated sprouts. Cantaloupe also has been contaminated with pathogens, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/food\/outbreaks-foodborne-illness\/outbreak-investigation-salmonella-cantaloupes-november-2023\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">salmonella<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMoa1215837#:~:text=This%20was%20a%20large%20U.S.,farm%20was%20the%20outbreak%20source.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">listeria<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cIf you look at just the sheer number of outbreaks and recalls over the last 15 years, we typically see more cases of E. coli tied to produce,\u201d said Darin Detwiler, a professor of food regulatory policy at Northeastern University.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Although there were serious E. coli incidents decades ago in meat \u2014 including an outbreak linked to Jack in the Box hamburgers that made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foodsafetynews.com\/2017\/12\/jack-in-the-box-e-coli-outbreak-25th-anniversary\/#google_vignette\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hundreds of people ill<\/a> and killed four in the early 1990s \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fsis.usda.gov\/food-safety\/safe-food-handling-and-preparation\/meat\/ground-beef-and-food-safety#:~:text=Live%20cattle%20can%20harbor%20various,raw%20ground%20beef%20as%20well.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">changes to federal regulations<\/a> and a better understanding of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/restaurant-food-safety\/php\/practices\/ground-beef-preparation.html#:~:text=But%20CDC%20and%20the%20U.S.,coli%20germs%20rapidly.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">proper cooking temperatures needed to kill off the bacteria<\/a> have reduced those cases.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Barbara Kowalcyk, director of the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, said that she makes an effort to avoid eating bagged greens, sprouts and cantaloupe. Bags or containers that hold lettuce or other leafy greens can seal in bacteria and create an environment for it to proliferate, she said, so for salads, she opts for heads of lettuce at the grocery store instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cAny leaf that is torn or damaged, I just throw it away, because that\u2019s how the bacteria can get in there,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I usually take the outer leaves off and discard them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">She then thoroughly washes and dries the lettuce.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThe key is running water and using a clean paper towel to dry it,\u201d she said. \u201cThe bacteria are kind of sticky, and friction is what gets them off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Schaffner said previous E. coli outbreaks involving prewashed, leafy greens resulted from not enough chlorine in the water as they were being rinsed. With sprouts, it\u2019s a different concern, he said: The seeds are exposed to warm temperatures and, as they sprout, release nutrients into the water that allow bacteria to grow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Cut melons, meanwhile, can be a common breeding ground for pathogens, especially if they\u2019re left sitting out.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI do a lot of workshops, and they often have cut fruit on the breakfast buffet, and that fruit just sits there all day long,\u201d Schaffner said. \u201cWe\u2019ve done research to show that the physical appearance of it doesn\u2019t change, but it can grow bacteria like nobody\u2019s business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Detwiler is particularly careful to avoid cantaloupe because of its webbed rind, where bacteria can easily hide.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cIt\u2019s one of the most deadly pieces of produce out there, of all things,\u201d he said. \u201cCantaloupe has a perfect pH, and you can\u2019t clean the outside enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">E. coli spreads in the environment through animal or human feces and from there can contaminate food and water. While significant improvements in agriculture have minimized the spread of pathogens on fields where produce is grown, experts said it\u2019s still important for consumers to consider the risk of E. coli \u2014 particularly for young children, individuals over 65 and anyone with a compromised immune system, including those who are pregnant.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThis is a really unique pathogen, because there\u2019s a very low infectious dose. So it can take only a few cells to get someone very sick,\u201d said Kali Kniel, professor of microbial food safety at the University of Delaware.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">The food safety experts interviewed also said they steer clear of rare or undercooked meat, poultry, fish and eggs, and don\u2019t drink unpasteurized milk.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Some mentioned, as well, that they look for signs of cleanliness when dining out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cIf I go into a restaurant that I\u2019m not familiar with, one of the first things I do is I go to the restroom, because if the restroom looks horrible \u2014 like no one\u2019s cleaned it in a long time \u2014 I don\u2019t even want to know what the kitchen looks like,\u201d Detwiler said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">That said, fast-food restaurants are generally not a hotbed for foodborne illnesses, and Detwiler said McDonald\u2019s has a \u201clong history of being a very prominent leader\u201d in food safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Kowalcyk agreed, adding that as a large chain, McDonald\u2019s likely has more procedures in place to train employees on contamination prevention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI don\u2019t really think any particular type of restaurant would be more risky than others, except that large organizations tend to have a lot of resources, and smaller organizations tend to have fewer resources or expertise,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/woman-suing-mcdonalds-describes-e-coli-symptoms-rcna177140\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Raw onions have not previously been known to be linked<\/a> to an outbreak of this particular strain of E. coli, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But onions have been contaminated with pathogens in recent years: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/salmonella\/outbreaks\/onions-10-23\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salmonella outbreaks<\/a> have been tied to them.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Kniel said she expects improvements to be made as a result of the growing tally of E. coli cases.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cWe learn something every time that there is an outbreak,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">For consumers worried about E. coli, Schaffner acknowledged that it\u2019s impossible to avoid every item that has been associated with foodborne illness.<\/p>\n<p class=\"endmark\">\u201cStopping eating foods when they\u2019re linked to outbreaks would leave you with not much of a diet,\u201d he said. \u201cAs a good friend of mine used to quip, the risks of not eating still outweigh the risks of eating.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/health\/health-news\/avoid-e-coli-food-safety-expert-tips-rcna177311\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Summary Amid the E. coli outbreak believed to be linked to onions served at McDonald\u2019s, food safety experts say some types of fresh produce carry extra risk. Many avoid &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118502\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=118502"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118502\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=118502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=118502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=118502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}