Introduction
When it comes to eating healthy, it’s important to know which produce you should never wash. According to experts, there is one produce item that should never be washed before eating. Eating this produce item without washing it can help you get the most out of its nutritional benefits. In this article, we’ll discuss the one produce item you should never wash, according to experts, and why it’s important to eat it without washing it. We’ll also provide some tips on how to safely store and prepare this produce item. So, if you’re looking for ways to get the most out of your produce, read on to learn more about the one produce item you should never wash.
The One Produce You Should Never Wash, Say Experts — Eat This Not That
Experts are warning that there is one type of produce you should never wash before eating. According to the experts, washing this type of produce can actually make it less safe to eat.
The produce in question is mushrooms. While it may seem like a good idea to give them a quick rinse before cooking, experts say that this can actually make them less safe to eat.
Mushrooms are highly absorbent, meaning that they can easily take in water and other contaminants. When you wash them, you are essentially just transferring any bacteria or other contaminants from the surface of the mushroom to the inside.
This means that when you cook the mushroom, the bacteria or other contaminants will not be killed off, leaving you at risk of food poisoning.
So, the next time you are preparing mushrooms, skip the washing step and just give them a good scrub with a brush. This will help to remove any dirt or debris without transferring any bacteria or other contaminants.
It is also important to remember that mushrooms should always be cooked thoroughly before eating. This will help to ensure that any bacteria or other contaminants are killed off, making them safe to eat.
Whipping up any meal with fresh ingredients usually involves a fair amount of peeling, chopping, slicing, and rinsing, especially when vegetables are involved. But before you bring any produce ingredients over to the sink, you might want to think twice. That’s because experts warn there are some vegetables that you should never wash before eating. Read on to see what you shouldn’t be rinsing after taking it out of the fridge.
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It’s pretty common knowledge that your vegetables need a quick rinse before you chop them and add them to your dish, even if they already appear to be clean. But no matter how steadfast your kitchen hygiene may be, any leafy greens that come prepackaged in a container that says “triple washed” shouldn’t get a pre-prep wash, experts say.
“Washing them again [at home] can actually increase the risk for leafy greens to pick up bacteria from your sink, countertops, cutting boards, knives, colanders, salad spinners, bowls, or other items or surfaces in your kitchen the greens might come in contact with during the washing process,” Neva Cochran, RDN, a dietitian, nutrition communications consultant, and an advisory panel member to the Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement, told Eating Well.
Nobody likes the idea of eating contaminated food prepared in a messy kitchen. But when it comes down to it, even the most immaculately maintained home cooking spaces are nowhere near the cleanliness standards of the sites where your prepackaged greens are processed. “Leafy greens in sealed bags labeled ‘triple washed,’ ‘washed’ or ‘ready-to-eat’ are produced in a facility inspected by a government regulatory authority and operated under Good Manufacturing Practices,” Cochran tells Eating Well.
Other experts point out that modern processes and techniques have made it easier to ship ready-to-eat leafy produce that is safe to eat. “Pre-washed greens are treated with a mix of water and a food-grade sanitizing agent, like hydrogen peroxide or chlorine,” Randy Worobo, PhD, associate professor of food science at Cornell University, told Real Simple. The mixture, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says poses no risk at such low levels, “reduces and prevents the spread of bacteria from the produce surface.”
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Even though that lettuce, spring mix, or arugula might be good to go from the package, there are still a few tried and true rules you should follow when using them. As always when preparing food, wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and hot water before handling the produce. It’s also best to make sure any surfaces such as cutting boards or mixing bowls have been cleaned or sanitized before transferring your greens onto them. And remember that your kitchen sink itself can sometimes be the place most likely to contaminate your ingredients, so be sure to clean it thoroughly before you start to cook.
But it’s not just pre-washed leafy greens that you shouldn’t wash during meal prep. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), rinsing off meat, poultry, or eggs is also a bad idea. “Washing raw meat, chicken, turkey, or eggs can spread germs to your sink, countertops, and other surfaces in your kitchen,” the agency warns. “Those germs can get on other foods, like salads or fruit, and make you sick.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says it’s no longer necessary to rinse off your meat or poultry thanks to current commercial washing techniques. While washing “to remove dirt, slime, fat or blood may have been appropriate decades ago when many slaughtered and prepared their own food, the modern food safety system doesn’t require it,” the USDA says. According to the agency, meat and poultry are cleaned thoroughly enough during processing. Therefore, any further washing is an unnecessary added risk.
RELATED: 7 Foods You Should Never Put in Your Slow Cooker.
This story has been reprinted with permission from Best Life.