Dr. Mom was right–and wrong–about washing fruits and vegetables - (Science Daily)
April 10, 2008 – 8:52 pmhttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410101203.htm
Washing fresh fruits and vegetables before eating may reduce the risk of food poisoning and those awful episodes of vomiting and diarrhea. But according to new research, described today at the 235th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, washing alone — even with chlorine disinfectants — may not be enough.
Studies show that certain disease-causing microbes are masters at playing hide-and-go seek with such chemical sanitizers. These bacteria can make their way inside the leaves of lettuce, spinach and other vegetables and fruit, where surface treatments cannot reach. In addition, microbes can organize themselves into tightly knit communities called biofilms that coat fruits and vegetables and protect the bacteria from harm. This kind of bacterial community can harbor multiple versions of infectious, disease-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli.
Now, new findings from scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggest that irradiation, a food treatment currently being reviewed by […]
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