4 summer fruits and vegetables that can make you sick
There are foods, especially fruits and vegetables, that you should be very careful when consuming, especially during the summer...
We all enjoy summer and all the delicious foods that come with it, but there are some foods, especially fruits and vegetables, that could make you sick in this hot season. For example, eating outdoors can be dangerous if you don’t know how to prepare food safely.** It is recommended not to leave any food unrefrigerated for more than four hours. Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that you might not expect to cause food poisoning. **1. Sprouts *Topping your burger with a handful of raw sprouts could cause food poisoning. Seeds and beans need warm, moist conditions to grow, which are also ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria, including Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli. Your safest option is to sauté the sprouts first, rather than using them raw. **2. Leafy Greens *Leafy greens used in salads can become contaminated in several ways. On the farm they can be contaminated by dirty water rinses; when a sick person prepares a salad without washing his hands; and by cross-contamination at home (for example, by using the same cutting board for preparing raw meat and salad, as bacteria can spread from meat to other products). To avoid food poisoning, wash vegetables before eating them by placing them in a large colander and then running them under the tap. **3. Melons *Melons and watermelons can cause listeria infection. Listeria is a bacteria that can grow at low temperatures. It has no smell, no taste and only heat can kill it. But if hot food cools, listeria can grow again. Since germs live on the outer skin of the fruit, rinse all melons under running water and scrub them with a produce brush before eating or cutting them, even if you peel them first. The cut in the rind can spread bacteria from the outside of the fruit to the inside. **4. Tomatoes *Tomatoes are super healthy and can be mixed into salads or used sliced as a filling for burgers. But because they are not cooked, they can cause illness. It is important to wash the tomatoes thoroughly under running water and discard any bruised or damaged tomatoes. Don’t let food poisoning ruin your summer fun. If you want more information on nutrition and health topics, click here.
