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Historically, we equate washing to cleanliness. We wash clothes, linens, cars, dishes, and ourselves. So, it is logical that many people believe meat and poultry can be made cleaner and safer by washing it. Is this true? Does washing meat, poultry, eggs, fruits, and vegetables make them safer to eat?
Washing raw poultry, beef, pork, lamb, or veal before cooking it is not recommended. Bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces. We call this cross-contamination.
Hand washing after handling raw meat or poultry or its packaging is a necessity because anything you touch afterwards could become contaminated. In other words, you could become ill by picking up a piece of fruit and eating it after handling raw meat or poultry. Practice good hand washing before and after handling raw foods as well as when using the bathroom, changing diapers, tending to a sick person, blowing your nose, sneezing and coughing, and after petting animals.
It is important to prevent cross-contamination from raw meat or poultry juices by washing counter tops and sinks with hot, soapy water. If desired, you may sanitize with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.
Packaging materials from raw meat or poultry also can cause cross-contamination. Never reuse them with other food items. These and other disposable packaging materials, such as foam meat trays, egg cartons, or plastic wraps, should be discarded.
The government's recent warning about some packaged fresh spinach has people worried about the safety of their produce, especially greens and lettuces.
After an outbreak of E. coli infections, the Food and Drug Administration recommended that consumers not eat any products containing fresh spinach from Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Bautista, Calif., with a date code of Oct. 1, 2006, or earlier.
Apparently, the particular strain of E. coli involved in this outbreak cannot be washed off. But other spinach, greens, and lettuce are considered safe to eat -- as long as they are washed properly.
Fear of contamination should not keep you from enjoying the many nutritional benefits of produce, says David Grotto, RD, a spokesman for the American Dietetic Association.
"Just make sure you follow safe food-handling procedures in your kitchen, and you can continue to enjoy all the vitamins, minerals, fiber, and disease-protecting health benefits of all produce, including lettuces and greens," Grotto says.
But how do you make sure you're following these safe procedures? WebMD asked the experts for tips about the care and handling of fresh produce.
