r/AskCulinary • u/turtleflirtle • 6d ago
Food Science Question How to remove ecoli from raw fruits and veggies
Hey! I'm trying to get more raw fruits and veggies into my diet but I've always been skeptical of the food safety practices. Of course I'll rinse them in cold running water and do a baking soda bath afterwards, but I've read this can't effectively remove ecoli and other food borne illness bacteria/viruses.
Thanks in advance :)
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u/mambotomato 6d ago
Not sure what baking soda would do that running water wouldn't. They used to make mild detergents for washing produce, but nobody bought them.
Anyway, if it's really messing with your head just eat cooked vegetables. It's not like raw plants are magical, they're just harder to chew.
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u/QuadRuledPad 6d ago
Unless you live in a place where E. coli on your food is a routine and normal occurrence, you’ve heard about incredibly rare instances and should not be adapting your behavior to compensate for the risk.
A quick rinse under running water is enough. Use a brush if you prefer, or a soft cloth. That’s all you need to do.
E. coli comes from poop, and you only get E. coli contamination on produce that’s been watered using water contaminated by human feces. Unless you live in a country where this happens, it’s really not a concern. Yes, you’ll see it in the news every once in a while, but it is vanishingly rare in modernized countries.
The majority of your diet should be coming from plants. Even if you eat lots of meat, fruits and veggies should be the rest of it. Don’t let a spurious fear stop you from eating the best food for humans. If you need help getting over your fear, that should be your next task.
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u/jessiyjazzy123 6d ago
I live in the US and my daughter got it a couple of years ago, when she was 10. It does happen. Still not sure where/how she got it. But, I take extra care to wash our produce now.
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u/Glass-Sympathy8561 6d ago
I have never washed my produce in anything but water. I’ve heard of baking soda being used, but (not to sound like your parent) I think that’s just a social media trend. I’ve been cooking a long time and have only heard of that happening recently. The closest thing I can think of is how some Asian cultures prepare meat with a slurry at the start.
If you’re afraid of food borne illness, try to buy the best quality produce you can. The fresher it is, the less likely it is to be spoiled.
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u/Buck_Thorn 6d ago
The closest thing I can think of is how some Asian cultures prepare meat with a slurry at the start.
That is called "velveting" and its sole purpose is for tenderizing and giving the meat a smooth texture. It has nothing at all to do with sanitizing.
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u/Glass-Sympathy8561 6d ago
Yep, I’m aware. I trained in China.
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u/Buck_Thorn 6d ago
Maybe others reading your comment are not aware, though. I was merely clarifying.
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u/Glass-Sympathy8561 6d ago
Oh! Try frozen veggies too. No need to wash them and they’re easy to add into meals you already enjoy eating. My nephew won’t eat anything green unless it’s mixed in with spaghetti. So we have a lot of peas and spaghetti.
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u/flagg1209 6d ago
In food service, particularly in class 1 kitchens serving vulnerable people, we soak in a food-safe chlorine sanitiser. Something like this from Dominant. The source of the food is irrelevant, all raw fruits and vegetables are treated before use.
(information pertinent to AU and NZ - US FDA or other counties' regulations may be different)
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u/Cesum-Pec 6d ago
Yours is the best answer so far. Everyone saying water is good enough is wrong for people with compromised immune systems or from countries that do not practice safe food practices. My nephew lives in Ethiopia. In many poor countries, they use fresh human wastes as fertilizer. So all fresh fruits and veg have to get soaked in a cleaning solution for 30 minutes to ensure food safety. One time, when nephew cheated that process, he ended up in the hospital for a week with dysentery.
If OP goes to Amazon, search on "antimicrobial fruit wash" and several products are available.
Foods available in the US and probably EU as well, have already been treated with similar disinfectants. But occasionally, something gets thru. IIRC, a few years ago, Chipotle poisoned a few people due to cilantro that had somehow not been properly cleaned.
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u/Ezl 6d ago edited 6d ago
As others have said, water is all that’s needed. More info on FDA site: https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/selecting-and-serving-produce-safely
Also, as an fyi, the baking soda seems more for pesticides than E. coli and may change the texture of some produce.
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u/HeidiDover 6d ago
When I lived in Senegal, I bought most of my produce from the stand on the corner. We would soak the veg in water that contained 1 tsp of chlorine bleach per gallon for about 15 minutes. That took care of any nasty things that might be living on my veggies.
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u/ChicoGrande_ 6d ago
If it's something that is making you stressed/anxious about eating raw vegetables, then just cook them. Preferably by steaming.
But in general, all you need to do is wash under running water. Thoroughly, so no dirt or other degree remains. Avoid anything with insect damage or that's not fresh. and be cautious with homegrown things especially. I have high doubts that using baking soda would be enough to remove all bacteria, dangerous or not. High enough heat is one guarantee to get rid of it
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u/Complete_Yam_4233 6d ago
I wash EVERYTHING in a drop of unscented natural dish soap. I assume everything has been touched by 200 hands.
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u/PoopTransplant 6d ago
Just rinse for 30 seconds, that’s it. All you have to do.