Myths about Food Safety You Shouldn’t Believe
There are a lot of misconceptions about
food safety we have been blindly believing for years now. Perhaps
because we are bombarded with so much information and despite having a
wealth of information available to us at our fingertips, many of us tend
to ignore certain food safety and safe food handling practices. Food
storage, cooking, cleaning, and eating are an essential part of our
lives and hence it’s important to not be fooled by any misconceptions
related to food safety.
Here, we have attempted to debunk some common food safety myths that you should always keep in mind.
Myth 1: If the food looks and smells fine, it’s good to eat
A lot of us do this. We just take a whiff
of the food we are about to eat, and if it smells and looks fine, we
don’t think much about eating it right away. That can be risky, though.
Some bacteria, molds, and yeasts can change the look, flavor, smell, or
texture of food, and then it's easy to tell if it’s gone bad. However,
harmful bacteria can only be seen under the microscope, and several
types of bacteria that do cause illness don’t always affect the taste,
smell, or appearance of food. That’s why you must pay attention to how
you store food. If, for example, you aren’t sure how long a leftover
food has been kept in the refrigerator, then don’t take the risk – just
toss it out. Just because that 5-day old milk or soft apple smells okay,
doesn’t mean it actually is.
Myth 2: The microwave will kill all bacteria in the food
Many of us assume that heating food in the
microwave oven will instantly kill all bacteria in it and make it safe
to eat.
While it’s true that the heat in microwaves can kill bacteria, they
can’t be 100% relied upon for your food’s safety. That’s because foods
with uneven shapes or variants in thickness might seem cooked by the
microwave but they still might be cold spots left in the food, where
harmful bacteria can survive. We've all experienced that 'cold spot' at
times. So, even if you’re using a microwave to heat the food, it doesn’t
automatically mean that it’s safe and you, therefore, must not neglect
any aspect of food safety.
Myth 3: You can’t drink milk past the date on the carton 
Don’t toss out that carton of milk just
because it’s gone by “best before” date. This happens since we often get
confused between a “best before” date and a “use by” date. The “best
before” date is more a recommendation and most research suggests that
properly stored unopened milk is safe to consume up to a week after that
date. Opened milk, meanwhile, can last at least 2–3 days past that
date. However, milk shouldn’t be taken past its “use by” date, as it
could have grown harmful bacteria and can make you sick.
Myth 4: The last food you ate is what caused you food poisoning
Apart from some toxins and viruses, most
harmful microorganisms usually take a few days to make you sick.
Symptoms of food poisoning typically take 1-3 days to develop and can
even take as long as three weeks to fully take hold. So don’t be quick
to blame your stomach illness on that sushi you had at a restaurant last
night for you may have gotten sick from something you ate a few days
ago. Also, the underlying cause of the symptoms might not be food
poisoning at all. If you feel you have a food-borne illness, seek medical
attention.
Myth 5: You don’t need to wash produce if
you are going to peel it
Even if you do not plan to eat the skin of the fruit or vegetable, it’s
always a good idea to wash it first before consuming it. The reason
being that dirt and bacteria can easily be transferred from the surface
when peeling or cutting produce, according to the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).
Here’s another story that will make sure you wash your produce before
eating. In 2011, an outbreak of salmonella from cantaloupe was traced to
germs clinging to the melon's rinds and transferred to the flesh inside
when the fruit was cut. Bacteria can stick easily to the rough surface
of fruits like cantaloupes. And even a small amount of bacteria can be
dangerous if it reaches the inside of firm fruits such as melons and
cucumbers.
Food experts hence recommend scrubbing their rind with a clean vegetable
brush and washing your hands with soap and warm water afterward.
Myth 6: As long as you cut off the mold, the rest of the food is fine
Don’t be under the assumption that if you
cut or scrape the mold out of food, the remaining part will be safe to
eat. That’s not always true. Moldy bread, especially, is better off
thrown away as the mold is more likely to be growing beyond the areas
you can see. Molds usually extend deep into the food and merely scraping
off the visible part won’t make the food safe to eat.
However, molds have a hard time growing inside firm fruits and
vegetables. So if you cut off at least an inch around the spot of mold
in the affected fruit or veggie, you can still eat it. Just make sure
that you wash the knife properly afterward to avoid cross-contaminating
your produce.
Myth 7: It’s safe to eat raw cookie dough/cake mix
While making cookie dough, it's hard to
can’t resist licking the batter from the spoon. It might be yummy, sure,
but it’s not safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
has stated that raw dough can contain germs that make you sick. While
there’s a risk of the bacteria in uncooked eggs too, there have been
incidents in the recent past of two outbreaks of E. coli infections
linked to raw flour as well. The CDC believes that since raw flour
hasn’t been treated to kill germs, it might well be contaminated in the
field or at other steps during flour production. Bacteria are completely
eliminated only when food made with flour is cooked. This is why you
should avoid eating raw dough or batter.
Myth 8: Plastic chopping boards are safer than wooden ones
It’s commonly believed these days that
plastic cutting boards are much safer than wooden ones. This belief
stems from the idea that since they are easier to clean and sanitize,
plastic boards are safer to use. Experts say that although plastic
boards are definitely easier to clean, cutting on them also leaves lots
of grooves where bacteria can hide. And while the wooden boards are
tougher to sanitize, there aren’t many deep scratches on their surface
and therefore they can actually be more sanitary in the long run.
So as long as you are thoroughly sanitizing both the chopping boards,
there’s not much difference between them. A good way to clean both types
of boards is to pour a solution of 1 gallon of water mixed with 1
tablespoon of bleach on their surface and let them dry. This will stop
moisture-loving bacteria from growing on them.