Washing vegetables with clean water is not safe enough?

Using clean water to wash fruits and vegetables can only remove some types of bacteria, scientists assert.

Although flushing a tomato under a tap can help eliminate a lot of harmful bacteria, some of these microorganisms are still capable of resisting torrential water. Basically, they stick more tightly to the fruit, according to experts' recommendations.

The consequences can be outbreaks of Salmonella or E. coli in humans, even when we are alert.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates there are about 383 cases of Salmonella-associated tomato in all of the country's 30 states since April 10, when the first patient was recorded. receive. The outbreak was attributed to Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon strain of Salmonella - a parasite in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals.

Until now, the FDA has not been able to accurately identify the origin of tainted tomatoes. Even so, many scientists insist that tomatoes can get germs from contaminated soil, irrigation water, fertilizer, wild birds or farmers themselves.

'If bacteria are on the surface of vegetables and you only wash them with water, it can remove some bacteria from the surface. Unfortunately, rinsing with clean water does not remove all bacteria and that is the problem. If they are closely linked or live in a tight community called biofilms, it is very difficult to remove them , 'said Brendan Niemira from the US Department of Agriculture's Microbiological Safety Agency on Live Science page.

According to Niemira, rough surfaces, like yellow melon pods or spinach leaves, provide plenty of nooks and crannies for hidden bacteria. Tomato has a finer surface although the crust still contains small holes that can become bacteria's habitat.

You need to wash the vegetables with a rougher surface more thoroughly. However, expert Niemira warns, rubbing too hard when washing can cause bruising or tearing to protect the outer layer of tomatoes and other vegetables.

This type of damage can lead to food spoilage and facilitate the growth of bacteria that cause damage to vegetables. Although these bacteria are not harmful to humans, they cause the vegetables to soften and provide more shelter for human pathogens, such as Salmonella, Mr. Niemira explained.

FDA does not recommend that people wash fruits and vegetables with soap, bleach or commercial cleaners, but suggest some tips to help keep food safe as follows:

- Handle vegetables gently to minimize bruising.

- Wash in cold water.

- Let the food drain.

- Preserving food in the refrigerator compartment (FDA recommends refrigerating at the highest temperature 4.5 degrees C)

- Remove fruits and vegetables that look or are damaged.