As Food-Safety Push Grows, Consumers Sort Out Dos, Don’ts

By Laura Landro

crystalWith new food-safety legislation making its way through Congress, safety advocates are hoping the FDA will soon have sweeping new powers to protect the nation’s food supply, as I write in the Informed Patient column today.

But in the debate over how to make food safer, it can be tough for consumers to figure out what’s safe to eat. Take a study released earlier this month by Consumers Union, which analyzed 208 samples of bagged, pre-washed salad, and reported finding “indicator organisms” –- bacteria found in the digestive tracts of humans, animals and the environment. The study authors say those bacteria indicate the potential for the presence of more dangerous bacteria, but none of the dangerous bacteria were found in the salad packages tested.

A spokeswoman for the Produce Marketing Association, which represents the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, says the study found no evidence of public health risk. And while cautious consumers might decide to re-wash the bagged salad to be on the safe side, she recommends against it: a scientific panel that studied the issue in 2007 warned that re-washing ready-to-eat, packaged leafy greens introduces a risk of cross-contamination of other surfaces in the unlikley event that harmful bacteria is present.

Likewise, a number of dairy producers and consumers are strongly advocating consumption of raw milk, on the grounds that it is more nutritious, better tasting and no more harmful than pasteurized milk, which is heated to kill bacteria. But its sale is illegal in many states, and the FDA warns that raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks, such as E. coli and listeria.

The Health Blog asked food-safety specialist Sam Beattie at Iowa University about both issues. While he says bagged salad should be considered safe to eat because of steps taken by processors to test for pathogens, he suggests using products furthest from the expiration date on the package and avoiding bags whose contents look wet or wilted.

When it comes to raw milk, however, he recommends against it. “I can’t think of a more unsafe food,” he says. His advice: steer clear of unpasteurized dairy products in general.

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