Amidst all the food safety issues that has been springing up left and right, it's only practical for one to ask what certain foods should be avoided to steer clear of the often miserable and traumatic effects of food poisoning.
William Marler, considered considered a national expert and attorney in food safety with over 20 years of experience, has been at the pole position of foodborne illness litigation and has filed a significant number of lawsuits against large food companies including KFC, Dole, Taco Bell, Chili's, McDonald's, and Wendy's. He has also won over $600 million for clients in foodborne-illness cases, Business Insider reported.
In an articles published on Food Poisoning Journal, Marler compiled a list of food items that one should stay away from to minimize the risk of food poisoning. Here's the list:
1. Precut or prewashed fruits and vegetables - These products are quite convenient to consumers, sure. But according to Marler, the more a food is handled and processed, the more likely it is to become contaminated. Instead, Marler suggests buying uncut and unwashed fruits and veggies. To avoid listeria, he also advises to consume to produce within three to four days.
2. Raw or undercooked eggs - Salmonella ring a bell? In spite of the risk being lower compared to two decades ago, Marler said it is still better to eat well-cooked eggs. Better safe than sorry, guys.
3. Raw oysters or other shellfish - Lately, foodborne illness caused by eating raw shellfish have been making a strong comeback. Warming waters produce microbial growth, Marler said. "Oysters are filter feeders, so they pick up everything that's in the water," he also explained.
4. Rare or medium rare or undercooked meat - You may prefer to have your steak or burger rare or medium-well, but Marler said it's best to have them well-done. He said, "The reason ground products are more problematic and need to be cooked more thoroughly is that any bacteria that's on the surface of the meat can be ground inside of it."
5. Unpasteurized milk and packaged juices - "There's no benefit big enough to take away the risk of drinking products that can be made safe by pasteurization," Marler said. And he is right. Unpasteurized milk and juices can contain viruses, parasites, and bacteria. In fact, there has been 148 reported cases of food poisoning that's related to raw milk and raw milk products. Unpasteurized packaged juices, on the other hand, may have E.coli contamination as previously noted.
6. Uncooked and undercooked sprouts - In 2014, 19 people have been sent to the hospital for salmonella in relation to bean sprouts. Also, 30 bacterial outbreaks including salmonella and E. coli have been linked to uncooked and undercooked sprouts since the mid-1990's. Sprouts, including mung bean, clover, alfalfa, and radish sprouts should not be consumed uncooked or undercooked as they may lead to infection through bacterial contamination.
