As one can imagine, as a food safety expert, one would presume that there are many habits they use to keep themselves safe from food poisoning. Food safety scientist and creator of barfblog.com, Doug Powell has many habits and avoids eating certain types of food.
One habit Powell has is to bring a food thermometer to a friendly gathering (not the usual bottle of wine). This is to make sure that the meat is cooked perfectly. Many use the colour of the meat as an indicator, when in fact temperature is the important factor that determines whether the bacteria is killed in the meat. And with a food thermometer and practice, you do not need to slice the meat in half to determine the temperature of the meat.
Another item of food that should not be taken lightly is cantaloupes (or rockmelon). Due to its soft and bumpy skin, it absorbs a lot more bacteria than watermelon or honeydew. While people don’t have to stop eating rockmelon, they should keep sliced pieces refrigerated. But stores are asking for trouble when they slice melons in half, wrap them in plastic and leave them at room temperature in the produce aisle,
However, the point of discussion is what particular foods do food safety experts avoid.
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Sprouts: Seeds and beans need warm, humid conditions to sprout which is the same environment that helps bacteria grow. Home-grown sprouts are no safer, because the bacteria can be found in the seeds themselves. So no matter how clean your house, bacteria can grow to dangerous levels.
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Raw Shellfish: They serve as a huge risk because the shellfish can be exposed to raw waste while under water.
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Raw Milk: Some say that unpasteurized milk is healthier because it contains natural microorganisms that strengthen the immune system. Unfortunately, raw milk also can also contain dangerous bacteria.
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