Tag: food safety

Should you wash meat before cooking it?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

chickenQ. When I buy chicken or meat, I like to wash it under cold running water before cooking. A friend of mine claims the chicken or meat must be washed in boiling water to clean it.  Is one method better than the other? Is either necessary? 

A. Not only is it not necessary to wash raw meat before cooking, it’s not a very good idea.

According to the USDA’s Food Safety Information Service:

Washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended…Some consumers think they are removing bacteria and making their meat or poultry safe. However, some of the bacteria are so tightly attached that you could not remove them no matter how many times you washed. But there are other types of bacteria that can be easily washed off and splashed on the surfaces of your kitchen. Failure to clean these contaminated areas can lead to food-borne illness. Cooking (baking, broiling, boiling, and grilling) to the right temperature kills the bacteria, so washing food is not necessary.

The article also has some useful food safety tips about brining meat, washing eggs, and cleaning raw produce.

  • Brining: Keep raw meat in the fridge while soaking and take care not to let the brine splash onto other surfaces as it may harbor bacteria; wash brining vessel thoroughly after use.
  • Eggs: Don’t wash them!
  • Fruits and Vegetables: Wash with water and a brush; avoid vegetables soaps and detergents.

See also: How to Kill E. coli on Vegetables.

Thanks for the great question!

This week: FODMAPs, fluoridation, Fitbits, food safety, and more!

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

A few months ago, I spoke at a conference attended mostly by fitness trainers and enthusiasts, and I noticed that about 75% of them were wearing activity monitors on their wrists or clipped to their clothing. To be honest, it seemed sort of strange and obsessive, but–hey–everyone needs a hobby.  So I feel a little sheepish about admitting to the fact that I am now the proud owner of a Fitbit One and am obsessively watching my daily step count and analyzing my sleep patterns! And I have to say, having an objective way to measure my level of activity really has made a positive difference. If I’ve  failed to crack 10,000 steps by 8pm, I’ll go out for a walk instead of sitting down at my computer or popping in a DVD.  For more on how “self-quantifiers” are using technology to monitor and improve their health, see this article I wrote for Intel iQ.

Once you start down the self-quantification path, it can be a slippery slope. My Fitbit One can be set up to coordinate with a number of popular online diet trackers, such as My Fitness Pal.  But if you’re using one of these to log your calorie or nutrient intake, keep an eye out for this common hazard.

Last week’s podcast delved into a somewhat lower technology solution to persistent digestive problems. Read more about the FODMAP diet and whether it might be the solution to your tummy troubles. Sometimes, of course, tummy troubles are actually caused by food poisoning–but is there any way to know which food was the culprit? More info on that here.

Finally, fluoridation is a controversial topic that’s being debated in communities around the U.S.  This week’s podcast reviews the main arguments for and against adding fluoride to the public water supply, along with some thoughts on the so-called “precautionary principle.”

For more food and nutrition hijinks, join me (and a few thousand other food- and nutrition-obsessed folks) on Facebook or Twitter.

 

Is MSG Safe? (Part 1 of 2)

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling FabulousThe FDA and EU consider MSG to be a harmless flavor enhancer; critics claim it’s a dangerous toxin. Who’s right? In this article, I take a look at what MSG is, how it acts in the body, how it’s used in the food supply.  In Part 2 , I’ll take a closer look at charges that MSG causes headaches (“Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”), neurological damage, or has harmful effects on insulin, diabetes risk, or even obesity.   Read or listen to Part 1 here.

Can Certain Foods Protect You from Food Poisoning?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. I tend to get food poisoning about once a year.  Often, however,  I am the only person in a group that gets it. Is there anything I can eat that would make my GI tract more resistant? Would probiotics help?

A.  It’s true that some people seem to be more resistant to food-borne pathogens than others.  So, how can you strengthen your own resistance? Continue reading “Can Certain Foods Protect You from Food Poisoning?” >

How safe is imported food?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

I was just reading a very interesting article on the safety of imported foods. Unfortunately, the publication (ADA Times) is for members of the American Dietetic Association so I can’t post a link for you. But here are a few nuggets you might like to know (with thanks to managing editor Liz Spittler, who researched and wrote the article).

Nearly 1/5 of the overall American food supply (and 80% of the seafood we eat) is imported. This represents a massive increase. While inspectors used to handle a million “entry reviews” a year, the number now approaches 25 million.  In response, the FDA is modernizing its oversight systems, including a new computerized screening process that helps inspectors zero in on the imports that are most likely to be a problem.  The FDA has also opened offices in five countries overseas in order to increase oversight and American food safety experts are training foreign food processors on the latest food safety techniques.

Continue reading “How safe is imported food?” >

How safe is imported fish?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. Is imported frozen fish from countries like India and Vietnam safe? I avoid buying any food imported from China but I bought frozen Swai Basa Fish (farmed) from Vietnam and frozen Squid (caught wild) from India. They tasted really good and they were cheap, but I’m wondering if we can trust those imports or they may be full of some toxic stuff.

A.  Theoretically, the safety of fish being sold in U.S. markets is monitored by federal agencies such as the FDA, whose job it is to be sure that the fish sold for human consumption in the U.S is “safe, wholesome, and not misbranded or deceptively packaged.”  (Institute of Medicine on Seafood Safety)

But as we’ve seen lately, the ability of the FDA to effectively police the food supply and enforce its regulations is in serious doubt. Just a few years ago, for example, there was a scandal in which salmon being sold for a premium as “wild-caught” in both wholesale and retail markets turned out to be cheap farmed salmon. ( Story from New York Times)

To make things even more challenging, fishing and farming practices are changing rapidly around the globe as demand for seafood increases.  New restrictions and best practices are being implemented. But loopholes and work-arounds are also constantly being discovered and exploited. It’s a moving target!

The best resource I’ve found to keep up with these issues is Seafood Watch. These guys are working hard to stay on top of all of these issues and to provide up-to-date resources for consumers trying to make safe and responsible choices.

I scanned Seafood Watch’s reports on both the fish you mentioned.  In terms of toxins or contaminants, I didn’t see too much to worry about with the wild-caught squid, but these comments on farmed swai basa got my attention:

“Commercial aquaculture for finfish in Viet Nam continues to use relatively low technology and many operations continue to use homemade feeds…[with] little or no management of aquaculture operations…”

The safety of these fish as food obviously depends primarily on the water they’re raised in and the food they are fed. They might be perfectly fine, but it doesn’t look as if anyone is paying too much attention.

From a sustainability perspective, which is more about the long-term health of the oceans than the safety of the food, both wild-caught squid and farmed swai basa are considered “good alternatives” but not “best choices.”