When one considers the causes of food poisoning, our focus tends to be on the making process. However, in truth, the food poisoning pathogens might actually originate from the ingredients used in the meal! So what are the top nine criminals?
Most Wanted: Food Poisoning Criminals
- Leafy Greens – Since these are left uncooked and eaten in large quantities, it easy to get sick if there is a pathogen in it. So be sure to wash it thoroughly to prevent sickness!
- Raw Eggs – Though the chances of getting salmonella in your raw eggs have now dramatically decreased, one can not but be too wary of this culprit! It is very hard to detect this pathogen in eggs so the safes thing to do is cook the egg.
- Meat – Meat in itself can cause a great amount of hassle in the food poisoning department. Though many think ground meat is the biggest offender, it is chicken that causes the most complications! So make sure the meat is cooked thoroughly and avoid washing the meat before cooking.
- Oysters and Raw Shellfish – These are normally served straight out of the water and eaten raw. Obviously, it poses as a risk. Give it a good smell test before consuming and if it smells like something other than the sea, dispose of it.
- Sprouts – Being a very difficult type of produce to clean and grown in warm, wet conditions, it not only grows the sprouts but also bacteria. Many advise simply to stay clear of this.
- Melons, especially Rockmelon – Because you don’t normally wash these, the bacteria can be transferred to the edible parts from the knife as you cut it up. So it is a good idea to scrub it before you consume.
- Raw Milk – After the commotion in the past few months surrounding raw milk, I think we all get the picture.
- Tuna – All fish needs to be kept very cold from the second it comes out of the water to when it hits the pan, and tuna in particular is especially susceptible to scombrotoxin, which can cause serious cramps and headaches
- Berries – Berries themselves are great once you wash them, but what makes them dangerous is when they are frozen. Treat them like fresh ones and give the frozen ones a good wash too!
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