How to reduce food safety risks at home and the grocery store
Contamination often cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, but proper cooking, storage and cleaning, along with monitoring recall alerts, can reduce the risk of foodborne illness
Food recalls and illness outbreaks have raised concerns this summer, but experts say taking simple precautions while shopping, cooking and storing food can help reduce the risk of getting sick.
No grocery store food is completely risk-free. Potential hazards include undeclared allergens, foreign objects, bacteria, viruses and cross-contamination. Harmful pathogens such as listeria and salmonella generally cannot be detected by sight, smell or taste, according to Consumer Reports.
Foods commonly eaten without cooking can pose a higher risk because they do not undergo a heat-based “kill step.” Those foods include raw fruits, vegetables and salads. Deli meats are also a concern because they may encounter contaminated surfaces while being sliced and packaged. Listeria can survive — and even grow — at refrigerator temperatures.
“Unfortunately, you sometimes have to be on guard when you go shopping because there could be an issue with the food that you’re buying that’s lurking that not even the store knows,” said James E. Rogers, director of food safety at Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports recommends choosing pasteurized milk and cheese instead of raw milk or unpasteurized dairy products, which can carry bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.
Consumers should wash produce under running water and scrub firm produce with a clean produce brush. Removing the outer leaves of lettuce may also reduce exposure to contamination. When possible, Rogers recommends buying whole fruits and vegetables and cutting them at home.
To help prevent cross-contamination in the kitchen:
Wash hands frequently while preparing food.Clean counters, sinks, knives and cutting boards with warm, soapy water.Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw meat and other foods.Do not rinse raw meat because splashing water can spread bacteria around the sink and nearby surfaces.Store raw meat on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods.Clean refrigerator spills immediately.Refrigerate perishable foods promptly.Use a food thermometer to ensure meat reaches a safe internal temperature.
Pregnant people, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems face a greater risk of serious illness from listeria. Consumer Reports advises people in those groups to avoid deli meat or heat it until steaming before eating it.
Consumers should also monitor recall notices rather than assume affected products have already been removed from store shelves. Recall alerts are available through Consumer Reports, the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. Notices typically include product names, lot numbers, dates and other identifying information.
Anyone who has recalled food at home should follow the recall instructions, which may direct consumers to discard the product or return it to the store for a refund. Rogers said recalled items can sometimes remain on shelves while stores work to remove them.
“It’s really important for the consumer to rely on their own information to protect them from recalls and outbreaks,” Rogers said.
