7 Ways To Keep Scary Stuff Off Your Plate

It's not just candy from strangers that's risky; unless you are a farmer, all the food that you eat everyday comes from... Strangers. Gasp! Stranger danger?! Nutritionist, chef and food safety expert Mareya Ibrahim, the "Fit Foodie" shares 7 easy way to keep the invisible organisms scarier than ghosts and vampires out of your food.

1. Be a Label Boss

tumblr.com / Via tumblr.com

Shop with your eyes wide open. Read labels, be knowledgeable about ingredients, and learn how meats and dairy products should be stored to avoid them going bad. Mareya adds, “Avoid any cans or packages that are dented, opened or leaking. Also, make sure to check expiration dates and avoid buying perishables too close to expiration.”

2. Pick your produce wisely

Via Reddit user interguy1

“Never, ever, ever ‘sample’ unwashed’ produce at the store or farmers market. Often items like berries are picked and packed right in the field and are not even rinsed. They could be seething with bacteria and potential contaminants,” says Ibrahim. Produce travels an average of 1,500 miles and passes through “over 20 sets of hands from field to fork,” says Ibrahim. Also, buy produce grown closer to home, which may decrease the risk for contamination.

3. Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill

Via Reddit

Do the CSCC's of food safety from the USDA:

Clean food as well as everything coming into contact with food before and after use, from hands to knives to cutting boards

Separate uncooked meat from everything else to avoid cross-contamination, and don't replace cooked meat onto the platter that held it raw

Cook meat, eggs and poultry thoroughly, using a meat thermometer to check temperature

Chill leftovers promptly, as bacteria grows quickly at room temperature

4. Give your fruit and veggies a real wash.

Pest Free Go Green / Via pestfreegogreen.com

Along with pesticides, many fruits and vegetables are also coated in wax to help it hold up to long journeys. Pesticides, wax and dirt should be thoroughly scrubbed or soaked off produce, which includes organic produce. Opinions differ on the best way to clean fruits and veggies, but at least do something to clean off harmful pesticides. Eat Cleaner, a fruit and vegetable wash comes in wipes, spray, and granulated powdered wash form is a great way to thoroughly clean produce. “You have to think, what else do we ‘clean’ with water alone?” Mareya says.

5. Don’t Let Your Fowl Go Foul

Via Reddit

'Fecal soup,' sounds gross right? You're right, it is! Fecal soup is created when birds are slaughtered and soak in a salt bath, which often makes it to the package. Clean birds carefully to remove this, as not to splash water which could transmit Salmonella and other pathogens. Mareya advises that you always rewash hands after touching uncooked meat and always keep uncooked poultry, meat, and seafood wrapped in plastic bags or in a container in the fridge to prevent leakage of juices and liquids.

6. Select Seafood Safely

Via efoodsafety

“Avoid purchasing pre-cooked seafood if they are in a case next to uncooked seafood. The potential for cross contamination is too high. If you must, ask your handler to put on a fresh pair of gloves,” says Mareya. Trust your nose, and reject any seafood that smells suspicious. When available, choose wild caught seafood over farm raised. A big surge of the available seafood is being raised in closed quarters that can spread disease and bacteria more rampantly than line caught counterparts.

7. Chill Out

Via CoreyMillerFitness.com

Heat can become a breeding ground for bacteria where they can grow exponentially in just minutes. When it comes to perishables like meat, dairy and fresh fruit and veggies. If you’re not taking a direct route home from the grocery, tote your own insulated grocery bags or coolers to help keep your bundles from going bad. If you’re planning a picnic or barbecue away from home, make sure to pack plenty of ice. Perishable food should never sit out for more than two hours and if the temperature is above 90°F, one hour is the max.

Don't Be Afraid, Be Empowered

Don’t let food horror stories make you shun the supermarket. Knowing correct selection and handling tips goes a long way in preventing food borne illnesses, so you can be confident that you’re protecting your family’s plate.

Mareya Ibrahim and Eat Cleaner

Via Eat Cleaner

7 Food Safety Tips provided by Mareya Ibrahim: "Fit Foodie" and Founder of EatCleaner.com. Mareya was a featured chef on ABC's Emmy-nominated cooking show Recipe Rehab, eHow.com, Livestrong.com and the food expert for San Diego Channel 6 News. Her back page column, "The Fit Foodie," appears in Edible Orange County Magazine.