Before you can safely enjoy any fresh and organic products, it’s important to properly clean them first. After all, you don’t want to consume harmful chemicals such as fungicides and pesticides, which are designed to stick to fruits and veggies through rain or shine. And you wouldn’t want to eat a mouthful of small rocks or dirt with your favourite grains, either. But did you know that washing raw meat can actually make you more likely to spread bacteria around the kitchen?
If you’re feeling confused, don’t worry. Read on to learn whether washing certain types of food can help or harm your health, as well as the proper ways to eliminate harmful bacteria.
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Washing Meat: Is It Necessary?
Many people believe that washing raw poultry, pork, lamb, or veal under running water can help remove harmful bacteria. But the truth is that most bacteria are so tightly attached to the meat that it’s impossible to remove them in the first place. Soaking raw meat in saltwater won’t do much good, either. Additionally, washing preserved and salted meat will not remove any of its sodium content, which some people believe to be as harmful as well.
The bad news is that washing meat and poultry can actually make things worse, as certain types of bacteria can be washed off and splash across your kitchen surfaces. And if you fail to sanitize these contaminated areas, you may end up getting yourself and the other members of your household sick.
The Right Way to Eliminate Bacteria from Meat
The best way to kill bacteria on raw meat is simply to cook it to the right temperature. Hence, make sure to use a food thermometer to check if your food has reached a minimum internal temperature of 62 degrees Celsius. However, you may also cook your meat at a higher temperature if so desired. To be extra safe, let the meat rest for at least three minutes before eating.
Washing Produce: Is It Necessary?
Cleaning your produce is an important step to keeping you and your loved ones from getting sick. And you can’t just spritz your produce with a bit of water and call it a day. Rinsing and scrubbing your food will help eliminate bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses such as E. Coli and salmonella.
The Right Way to Wash Produce
Unfortunately, holding your fruits and veggies under a running tap isn’t enough to get rid of all the dirt, wax, and chemicals. Instead, you need to briskly rub the food with your hands to effectively remove dirt and other microorganisms. Any produce with firm skin or a hard rind can be scrubbed using a specially-designed vegetable brush. Also, it’s best not to use hot water to rinse your fruits and veggies, as the heat may let microorganisms get enter the produce’s blossom or stem end.
Another mistake that people make is to wash their produce before storing them in the refrigerator. While you may think that you’re saving yourself a lot of time, getting your food wet can actually promote the growth of bacteria, since they thrive best in moist environments. To make matters worse, too much moisture can make your produce spoil or rot more quickly, resulting in unnecessary food waste. Hence, make sure to only wash your fruits and veggies immediately before consuming or cooking them.
Keep this information in mind the next time you’re doing food prep. That way, you can keep yourself safe from harmful foodborne illnesses. As a general rule, make sure that your hands are clean before handling any produce. Otherwise, you might end up transferring microbes from your hands to your food without realizing it.