A website called “Bottom Line Health” recently talked to a food-safety lawyer who’s been representing people in food-poisoning cases for the past 20 years . . . including the recent one against Chipotle.
And they asked him to list foods he personally never eats because they’re too risky. Here are the top four . . .
1. Raw oysters. They’ve always been risky, but you’re even more likely to get sick from them now, because the oceans are warming. And even slightly warmer water helps microbes grow.
2. Pre-cut fruit and vegetables. Meaning the ones they sell in plastic tubs at the grocery store. The fact that they’re pre-cut means someone’s already handled them, so they’re more likely to be contaminated.
3. Sprouts, which a lot of people put on salads. There have been over 30 bacterial outbreaks linked to them in the past 20 years . . . mostly salmonella and e coli.
4. Rare meat. If you love your steak rare, this probably won’t change anything. But it should be cooked to at least 160 degrees all the way through to kill any bacteria. And that means at least medium-well.
The one thing you don’t have to avoid is sushi. The expert says it’s usually handled well, and there haven’t been many outbreaks linked to it.