How To Avoid Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables
How To Avoid Contaminated Fruits and Vegetables
Over the past few years there has been a rash of Listeriosis, Salmonella and Escherichia Coli outbreaks involving fresh fruits and vegetables within the USA. Although we were told that most of the incidents were limited to lettuce, onions and various other vegetables that were part of prepared salad packages sold under various store brands around the USA in 2008-2012, more recent outbreaks during 2012 involved tomatoes and cantaloupe melons sold as stand alone items. In 2011 a similar outbreak of Listeria in fruit turned out to be the deadliest in ten years. Over seventy people became seriously ill, with thirteen deaths reported as a result of the infections.
People that become infected do not immediately get sick because these infections take anywhere from twelve to seventy-two years to take effect. When people do become sick they exhibit symptoms which include cramps, headache, fever, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. If you experience those types of symptoms after eating fresh fruits or vegetables at home or at a restaurant within a twenty-four to forty-eight hour period, visit your doctor or an emergency treatment center immediately. Tell the medical care givers what you have eaten and when you ate it.
The causes of all these outbreaks are up for debate, but there is an ugly truth here that is being ignored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are not properly enforcing sanitary conditions with growers or processors and that is putting the public at risk. If they continue to ignore this growing problem, you will see many more infection outbreaks sooner rather than later. With that in mind, what is the best way to protect your self from these incidents?
Let’s began with a huge falsehood. You cannot remove the chance of infection by simply washing off fruits and vegetables. The Listeriosis and Escherichia Coli bacteria has already been absorbed from the soil and ground water or other sources. You can avoid common infections caused by various household bacteria by always washing off fresh fruits and vegetables with cold running water, and washing your hands as well.
In all honesty, it is almost impossible to completely protect yourself from these types of infections as long as you eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Outbreaks strike everywhere with no particular pattern found among one grower, producer or store, or another. It is true that fast food locations serving items with fresh fruit and vegetables have been hit the hardest. That leaves you with the options of cooking vegetables at 150 degrees for five minutes or more, and nuking fruits in the microwave for at least thirty seconds or more. Please note that neither of these options will guarantee one hundred per cent protection against infected foods.
One of the best ways to protect yourself from infection and still be able to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables is to grow them yourself, if that is an option. There are a number of soiless easy-grow kits sold year round which produce luscious oranges, tomatoes and other fruits in your home or apartment. There are also pre-packaged planting boxes which fit on most window sills and allow you to grow small amounts of choices like fresh lettuce and herbs. These are sold at many big box department stores and plant nurseries during the growing season. To my knowledge there has never been a reported bacteria infection associated with any of these quick or easy-grow products.
You can plant your own garden if you have the room in your backyard. Make sure you plant it in an area where pets and other animals do not generally urinate or defecate. You may want to have a soil analysis done before you actually plant anything to make sure it is safe and able to support your crop. Sometimes local colleges or other schools with agriculture programs will offer free soil analysis.
If you serve meat with fresh or cooked vegetables, always keep your raw meat and vegetables separate until you plate them to avoid any cross contamination. Cook meats to medium well to be sure they are also safe to eat. Avoiding the kind of infections that have occurred in fruits and vegetables over the past several years is all about making the right choices. Given the inability of the USDA to properly protect our food supply, I suggest you cook your vegetables, avoid purchasing pre-packaged salads and walk past the salad bar without stopping at your local eatery.
Bill can be contacted on FACEBOOK
Informative, Provocative, Exciting Books (ebook and paperback formats) by Bill Knell and others…
Bill Knell's books are available on Ebay (Rating 5/5), Walmart, Amazon, Lulu, GoodReads, Kobo and more. Some titles are available in Spanish
Radio Personalities that book me as a guest for their shows call me The UFO GUY. This book covers my early life experiences and investigations. As you’ll soon discover, my life has always been surrounded by the paranormal and unusual events. People that have experienced the unexplained have been drawn to me, and I to them. - Bill Knell
This is not just another Vampire Story. It's the amazing tale of a powerful being bent on revenge. Discover how a common man became The Dark Master and move with him through the centuries until he winds up in New York City. It's there that we meet the fascinating characters that interact with him over one hundred years. It's there that he reaches into the heart of the New York City Mob and pulls out a man in need of his unique powers. Stay off the streets of NYC at night… He's hungry!
ebook hispano
True TALES of people who experienced a parallel Earth event.
ebook hispano
The belief in life after death is a common belief among most of the world’s civilizations and that may have been the birth of the idea of ghosts and spirits. The Vampire persona has evolved from many true and untrue facts, legends and myths. At various times vampires, real and imagined, have been considered fiends, supernatural beings, shape-shifters, mentally disturbed deviants, satanic servants and fetish followers...
ebook hispano
Llllppp
What they will not tell you about marriage and relationships
ebook hispano
WARNING: Sexual Situations
This is a true story about Sex Workersl.I know because I witnessed most of what you will read about. The rest I gleaned from long conversations with some of the people involved… WARNING: SOME EXPLICIT DESCRIPTIONS
Kailey Fields offers readers fresh and very human fiction stories that are unique, yet relatable.
kindle, paperback or hardcover
kindle, paperback or hardcover
Cerelia, a museum employee with a penchant for the obscure and a healthy dose of skepticism tempered by an insatiable curiosity, had been cleaning the newly acquired collection of ancient artifacts. She was meticulous, and painstaking in her work, a sharp contrast to the hurried pace of the city outside the museum walls. She liked the quiet solitude of the museum, a world apart from the noisy urban jungle. She found solace in the relics of the past, each object whispering a story of bygone eras.
kindle, paperback or hardcover
The seeds of her self-doubt had been sown in her early years. She'd been relentlessly bullied in school for being different, for her passion for gaming, which had been dismissed as a “boy thing.” That hurt had left deep scars. Creating Lemonade had been a shield, a way to deflect the negativity she faced in the real world. It was a safe space where she could be celebrated for her skills, her wit, and her personality, instead of facing ridicule.
Comments
Post a Comment