Over Cooking vs. Food Poisoning

Spring Chicken

Let's face it, we're all going to die eventually, but we surely don't want to be killed by food-borne bacteria. 

Nor do we want to risk becoming ill due to bacteria, especially when we can avoid it - or at least reduce our chances of getting ill from those pesky little bacteria's that are all around us, including in the food we eat. 

And, as Eggheads, we sure don't want to under cook or over cook our Egg cooked food in the name of safety. 

Here's an interesting article on the subject. It also takes into account the issues of 'under cooking' and 'over cooking' food. 

https://www.yourdoctorsorders.com/2013/06/dont-overcook-healthy-cooking/ 

It's worth a read if only as a reminder... 

You're Welcome 

Merry Christmas 

Printemps "Ate Too Much Bacteria" Poulet 
aka Spring Chicken 
aka Hey You 
Covington Louisiana USA

JethroVA

excellent article

jtcBoynton

Another article where the headline doesn't mesh well with the body of the article.  Pretty much standard advice.

HeavyG

A good read. Thanks!

The last paragraph highlights something I did not know until the recent romaine lettuce recall:

"Remember when you were taught that you needed to wash produce in order to prevent foodborne illness? Turns out that isn’t enough. The produce is contaminated before harvest, as the bacteria are internalized into the produce from the root system and into the plant. This prevents removal of the bugs by just washing the produce or using sanitizers on it. We could radiate the food as the only way to insure it free from contamination. Be careful out there. Another reason to think about growing your garden, or getting food from a local farm."

I was puzzled a few weeks ago when I was reading info about the romaine lettuce recall and the authorities said that washing the romaine would not be safe and that it should just be thrown out. Now I understand why.

fishlessman

lettuce is evil, dont even let it cross contaminate your food

Botch

HeavyG said:

We could radiate the food as the only way to insure it free from contamination. 

There was such a commotion about radiating food a few years ago, and I loved practicing the following arguments on the "protesters":
 
Me:  We should radiate our food, to increase shelf life and prevent pathogens
They:  OMGWTFBBQ, are you CRAZY??  We'll die from radiation poisoning!
Me:  No we won't, totally different type of radiation
They:  Yes we will, it's RADIATION!!!!
Me:  Did you ever cut your finger when you were a kid?
They:  Duh, of course!
Me:  How did you stop the bleeding?
They:  Why, a Band-Aid, of course!
Me:  Remember what was printed on the Band-Aid's wrapper?
They:  Uh, something about "Guaranteed Sterile Until Opened"?
Me:  Exactly.  Do you know how they sterilized the Band-Aids?
They:   
 
            (somewhere, in the distance, a dog barked)
 
They:  NO WAY!  They didn't use RADIATION to sterilize their Band-Aids?!?!?
Me:  Yes, the same.  And you stuck it onto an open wound!!
They:  aurghhguzuzzzuuuu (as they slashed their own throats with their car keys...)

Botch

^^^ Apologies, I've had a few beers and I'm having fun!  

BGEChicago

Botch said:

HeavyG said:

We could radiate the food as the only way to insure it free from contamination. 

There was such a commotion about radiating food a few years ago, and I loved practicing the following arguments on the "protesters":
 
Me:  We should radiate our food, to increase shelf life and prevent pathogens
They:  OMGWTFBBQ, are you CRAZY??  We'll die from radiation poisoning!
Me:  No we won't, totally different type of radiation
They:  Yes we will, it's RADIATION!!!!
Me:  Did you ever cut your finger when you were a kid?
They:  Duh, of course!
Me:  How did you stop the bleeding?
They:  Why, a Band-Aid, of course!
Me:  Remember what was printed on the Band-Aid's wrapper?
They:  Uh, something about "Guaranteed Sterile Until Opened"?
Me:  Exactly.  Do you know how they sterilized the Band-Aids?
They:   
 
            (somewhere, in the distance, a dog barked)
 
They:  NO WAY!  They didn't use RADIATION to sterilize their Band-Aids?!?!?
Me:  Yes, the same.  And you stuck it onto an open wound!!
They:  aurghhguzuzzzuuuu (as they slashed their own throats with their car keys...)

Speaking of radiation, this is the only way I get fitted for shoes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkdZ2n-U6kc

DoubleEgger

HeavyG said:

A good read. Thanks!

The last paragraph highlights something I did not know until the recent romaine lettuce recall:

"Remember when you were taught that you needed to wash produce in order to prevent foodborne illness? Turns out that isn’t enough. The produce is contaminated before harvest, as the bacteria are internalized into the produce from the root system and into the plant. This prevents removal of the bugs by just washing the produce or using sanitizers on it. We could radiate the food as the only way to insure it free from contamination. Be careful out there. Another reason to think about growing your garden, or getting food from a local farm."

I was puzzled a few weeks ago when I was reading info about the romaine lettuce recall and the authorities said that washing the romaine would not be safe and that it should just be thrown out. Now I understand why.

Why do people think that if it’s grown locally, it is inherently safe? 

st¡ke

Define "local"

your garden? You probably don't have workers who aren't able to take bathroom breaks, who sh!t themselves while working the fields. Only fairly recently have they started enforcing regs requiring facilities for workers. No toilets in a HUGE field, or toilets too far away... what's a low paid migrant worker gonna do?


Or pumping irrigation water from sources contaminated with fecal bacteria. 

Or factory processing 

There are no guarantees locally. But as far as an epidemic, a local source won't contaminate country-wide either. Local farms aren't at the same scale and don't distribute as widely. 

But even maybe without wandering pooping fieldeorkers, they are still exposed to the same risks of manure, or processors not washing hands. 

Still though, the odds of contamination are fairly low. Even during an outbreak.  


The day they announced the last romaine recall we had JUST bought a three pack. 

Made myself a sandwich. Shrug. 

Don't forget folks, your own toothbrush is likely covered in e coli bacteria. It's just (mostly) YOUR FAMILY'S own concoction, and not a virulent strain (probably).

GATraveller

Excellent.  Great read - thanks for sharing!

HeavyG

DoubleEgger said:

HeavyG said:

A good read. Thanks!

The last paragraph highlights something I did not know until the recent romaine lettuce recall:

"Remember when you were taught that you needed to wash produce in order to prevent foodborne illness? Turns out that isn’t enough. The produce is contaminated before harvest, as the bacteria are internalized into the produce from the root system and into the plant. This prevents removal of the bugs by just washing the produce or using sanitizers on it. We could radiate the food as the only way to insure it free from contamination. Be careful out there. Another reason to think about growing your garden, or getting food from a local farm."

I was puzzled a few weeks ago when I was reading info about the romaine lettuce recall and the authorities said that washing the romaine would not be safe and that it should just be thrown out. Now I understand why.

Why do people think that if it’s grown locally, it is inherently safe? 

Don't think anyone believes it is inherently safe.

Possibly just safER coming from your own garden as you have far more control over what is going on/into your soil.

Possibly just safER if you are buying from a local farmers market as those sort of small operations also likely engage in practices that are less likely to introduce large enough quantities of deadly pathogens into their product stream to make folks ill.

One thing I am curious about, which causes more folks intestinal distress - romaine lettuce or cannibal sandwiches?

fishlessman

HeavyG said:

DoubleEgger said:

HeavyG said:

A good read. Thanks!

The last paragraph highlights something I did not know until the recent romaine lettuce recall:

"Remember when you were taught that you needed to wash produce in order to prevent foodborne illness? Turns out that isn’t enough. The produce is contaminated before harvest, as the bacteria are internalized into the produce from the root system and into the plant. This prevents removal of the bugs by just washing the produce or using sanitizers on it. We could radiate the food as the only way to insure it free from contamination. Be careful out there. Another reason to think about growing your garden, or getting food from a local farm."

I was puzzled a few weeks ago when I was reading info about the romaine lettuce recall and the authorities said that washing the romaine would not be safe and that it should just be thrown out. Now I understand why.

Why do people think that if it’s grown locally, it is inherently safe? 

Don't think anyone believes it is inherently safe.

Possibly just safER coming from your own garden as you have far more control over what is going on/into your soil.

Possibly just safER if you are buying from a local farmers market as those sort of small operations also likely engage in practices that are less likely to introduce large enough quantities of deadly pathogens into their product stream to make folks ill.

One thing I am curious about, which causes more folks intestinal distress - romaine lettuce or cannibal sandwiches?

romaine lettuce puts me on a hopper holding a bucket while my neck swells to the point that breathing becomes difficult. raw burger is just a snack while making burgers