Veggies may contain hidden risk?

Veggies may contain hidden risk?

So I found this to be very interesting... Makes me want to start growing my own fruits and veggies again like we did when I was a kid. I probably will once we get in a place of our own (if that ever freaking happens). I'm sure I can put up a small greenhouse or something... there's so many that you can just slap together now a days that are pretty inexpensive. Anyhow, read on....

Veggies may contain hidden risk

12:18 PM PST on Thursday, March 2, 2006

KING Staff

KING

Some fresh vegetables and fruits have to carefully washed.

Mike Stein recently ate some food that left more than a bad taste in his mouth.

"We got home and I started feeling queasy," he said.

He got violently ill and figured it was from the food. So he called the health department and was surprised by what they said was to blame for his bad reaction.

"They suspected that it was some kind of contamination on the vegetables," he said. "They indicated that this is not an unusual situation."

In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contaminated fruits and vegetables now cause more food-borne illness than meat, poultry or eggs, and the problem is growing.

"When we look at all of our outbreaks, about 13 percent of those people got ill from eating a fresh fruit or vegetable - one that was consumed raw - and that's double what we saw 10, 15 years ago," said Dr. Patricia Griffin of the CDC.

The CDC said one reason is the increased popularity of pre-cut produce.

"Once a fruit or vegetable has been cut, it can be a better medium for growth of bacteria," said Griffin.

Also, veggies now come from more places, including overseas, and the overall process is tough to track.

"For example, lettuce is harvested. It will get washed, but maybe it will be in wash water that's contaminated," aid Griffin.

The biggest culprits, according to the government, are lettuce, melons, sprouts, tomatoes and green onions.

"Another big problem has been unpasteurized juice," said Griffin.

Fruits and vegetables are a critical part of a balanced diet, so no one is suggesting you avoid them.

But the CDC does have some recommendations.

"Wash your fresh fruits and vegetables before you eat them; peel your fruits and cut out any parts that are bad," said Griffin.

Refrigeration after peeling and cutting is key, and as your mother always said, wash your hands before you eat, too.

The CDC says it's tough to know just how big the problem is because most people don't report their illnesses.

They urge you to contact your health department if you think you've eaten contaminated food. That will help officials trace bad food sources and protect others.