...Even the pre-washed stuff.
Sorry to all of the spinach fiends out there, but even the pre-washed stuff can contain scary bacteria like E. coli, according to research presented at a recent meeting of the American Chemical Society.
You probably worry about food poisoning when you're cooking raw meat—but with produce? According to the Center for Disease Control, 48 million Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses every year—and fresh produce is the culprit behind half of these cases.
Sharon Walker, Ph.D., a professor of chemical and environmental engineering at the University of California-Riverside, decided to study pre-washed spinach after experts connected the 2006 California E.coli bacteria outbreak (which resulted in 205 confirmed illnesses and three deaths) to it.
Walker used a microscopic technique to look at the bacteria on the surfaces of spinach and counted how many bacteria cells attached and detached from the greens after they were washed with bleach rinses of different strengths. And while the high-strength concentration rinse (the one typically used commercially) did kill off all of the bacteria, Walker discovered that the spinach leaves’ bumps, nooks, and crannies caused an uneven distribution of the bleach rinse. Because of this, up to 90 percent of bacteria survived on some of the spinach.
If bacteria aren't completely killed off, it can grow and spread onto the surfaces of processing facilities or cross-contaminate other leafy greens before they enter the supermarket.
"This is totally in line with what we know about lettuces and other leafy greens," says Benjamin Chapman, Ph.D., a food-safety specialist. "There are similar studies that have shown that food carries bacteria and it’s probably unlikely to get washed off through any triple wash or at-home wash.”Um, ew. So does this mean you should stop eating leafy greens?"I don’t mean to frighten anyone away from eating spinach," says Walker. "The industry does work hard to minimize risk and keep the produce as clean as possible."
To keep your greens as clean as they can be, store them in the fridge at or below 41°F and eat it within three to four days of opening the package.
Source:MSN
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Health