Why Some Foods Are Riskier Today

Interesting article from today's WSJ - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... ood+safety

Whoever thought we were at the top of the food chain was wrong. We're not: the microbes and viruses are, and they go through generations in a matter of hours rather than decades. Which is why having more new antobiotics and antivirals in development is always a necessity, as is not abusing antibiotics by taking them when you have a viral infection (they won't work against viruses).

I know people who have stopped eating raw shellfish, mostly to avoid vibrio vulnificus (the flesh-eating disease). I'm of the same mind. However, other I know go by the new standard advice: 1) know where your supply comes from, 2) if in doubt, abstain, and 3) if you must have your raw oysters, accompany them with a dash of Tabasco or habanero sauce and a shot of 100-proof vodka -- what the sauce won't kill, the vodka will!

With that in mind, I'll add a few drops of Tabasco or habanero sauce to the rinse water in which I soak fresh veggies, green onions and salad greens for at least 5 minutes before I rinse them under running water, spin-dry them in a salad spinner, then pat dry with clean paper towels before bagging them in ziplocs and storing them. With fresh fruit, I first spray them with peroxide, then vinegar, let them sit a minute, then spray them with veggie wash and rinse; hard-skin fruit also get washed with a drop of antibacterial dish soap, whereas grapes and berries just get a spray of veggie wash with a good second rinse under running water, then get air dried in a mesh colander or on paper towels. It's involved, but it works.

webdiva


Better safe than sorry. My stomach thinks so, too.

webdiva wrote:I know people who have stopped eating raw shellfish, mostly to avoid vibrio vulnificus (the flesh-eating disease). I'm of the same mind. However, other I know go by the new standard advice: 1) know where your supply comes from, 2) if in doubt, abstain, and 3) if you must have your raw oysters, accompany them with a dash of Tabasco or habanero sauce and a shot of 100-proof vodka -- what the sauce won't kill, the vodka will!

Were it only so easy!

http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm085365.htm

Vibrio vulnificus is killed by neither hot sauce nor alcohol. I've no reference for the efficacy of hot sauce in washing veggies, but I suspect the benefits are infinitesimal to none.

Risk-aversion is a very personal thing for which there's no right or wrong answer. Important to be sure that your risk assessment is based on good information, though.

Welcome to the board, webdiva... I say don't give up on the oysters, hot sauce or no

Dom, I was initially skeptical too, but a quick Google search turned up these two articles (plus a lot of independent stuff) that make me wonder if there is something to it:
NYT article
Fox News health blog article (scroll down to the "hot peppers" section)

However, according to the NYT article, it sounds like "a few drops" of hot sauce in salad/veggie rinse water would probably not be enough to kill bacteria in 5 minutes...they specifically mentioned one part in 16 of water, which would result in some spicy salad.

Khaopaat wrote:Dom, I was initially skeptical too, but a quick Google search turned up these two articles (plus a lot of independent stuff) that make me wonder if there is something to it:
NYT article
Fox News health blog article (scroll down to the "hot peppers" section)

However, according to the NYT article, it sounds like "a few drops" of hot sauce in salad/veggie rinse water would probably not be enough to kill bacteria in 5 minutes...they specifically mentioned one part in 16 of water, which would result in some spicy salad.

The Times article (which I saw) is nearly 20 years old and states itself that it's a preliminary laboratory finding that may or may not have practical application.

The Fox blog post is unreferenced and contains a number of other dubious claims.

In both cases, I'm inclined to consider a current FDA document a significantly more reliable source

I could be wrong, and would be thrilled to hear if I am, but this particular item has the all-too-common earmarks of the "rogue study becomes 'common knowledge' due to media coverage and internet propagation" phenomenon.

Food safety common sense:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14540742&ft=1&f=1066