Debunking Food Safety Myths

Food Myths Debunked!

Over the years we have all heard advice related to food safety and preparation, much of it from word of mouth, or a simple Google search online. But how much of what we hear and read is actually true?

To help consumers protect themselves and their families from food poisoning, the Ad Council, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, FDA and CDC and their Food Safe Families campaign as well as the Partnership for Food Safety Education are setting the record straight on food safety to save you time, money and most importantly, peace of mind, that your food is safe for your family’s consumption.

Here are some myths about food safety:

• MYTH #1:  “If I microwave food, the microwaves kill the bacteria, so the food is safe.”
• MYTH #2:  “Of course I wash all bagged lettuce and greens because it might make me sick if I don’t.”
• MYTH #3:  “I don’t need to use a food thermometer.  I can tell when my food is cooked by looking at it or checking the temperature with my finger.”
• MYTH #4:  “I can’t re-freeze foods after I have thawed them – I have to cook them or    throw them away.”

MYTH #1:  “If I microwave food, the microwaves kill the bacteria, so the food is safe.”:

We have all heard from people that the microwave can kill all the bacteria in our food making it safe to eat. I never believed it. Honestly, I have tried cooking meat in the microwave and when I did, I never touched it because I knew it was going to be dangerous. The microwave cooks the food unevenly and the bacteria also remains in the food as well. I am still iffy about using a microwave pretty much for anything. If I did use it it would be to heat up left overs or heat up an already made dinner. I will not go any further than that.

MYTH #2:  “Of course I wash all bagged lettuce and greens because it might make me sick if I don’t.”:

I have to admit, I still wash my begged lettuce. Well, I can say that I used to. I guess I feel that it's safer to eat when I am doing so, but then again, I am giving it another wash that it does not need. I used to think that the lettuce was placed in the bag and then you wash it at home, well, some are. There are packages of bag lettuce that let you know if they have been washed or not. It usually says on the bag if the lettuce is "ready to eat", "washed" or "triple washed".  I am big on scrubbing down all my fruits and veggies because I want to be sure that I remove any harmful bacteria such as e coli, pest-asides and any other unwanted germs. So if you happen to get a bag of lettuce, just remember that if it tells you that it has already been washed, there is no need to do it at home. 

MYTH #3:  “I don’t need to use a food thermometer.  I can tell when my food is cooked by looking at it or checking the temperature with my finger.”:

This is something that I definitely need to invest in. A food thermometer. I know there a lot of you like me who do not have one and when it comes to checking your meat you use your eyes as the judge. I don't think I have ever used my finger though to see of the meat it cooked. Certain foods, mainly meats need to be cooked to a certain temperature or they become harmful when eating it. A thermometer is something that everyone should have, including myself, when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. 

MYTH #4:  “I can’t re-freeze foods after I have thawed them – I have to cook them or    throw them away.”:

This is once of the myths I believed for a while till a few months ago. I thought that once the food was taken out of the freezer that it could not be placed back in there because it would go bad and somehow the food would get freezer burn. But, that is not the case. When you thaw the food, take what you need and then place the rest in the freezer. It saves you money, and food as well. There have been lots of times where I have thrown food away because I didn't use it thinking that I could not place it back in the freezer. The only way the food cannot be placed back in the freezer is if you have microwaved it to thaw, had the meat on the counter top, or if you placed it in cool water to thaw. Now that I know that I can refreeze my foods, I can do more with extra food and non of it goes to waste.

These are a few myths about food and it's safety. If you have any questions or want to learn more about food safety, check out fightbac.org and www.foodsafety.gov/