Bad food safety reporting II: inconsistent and uncertain edition

Posted: September 9th, 2010 - 9:50am by Doug Powell

NSF International issued the results of a survey involving 1,000 Americans that found consumers were inconsistent and uncertain about some food safety practices in the home.

That’s because food safety advice is inconsistent and uncertain. That’s normal. Food safety isn’t simple.

But this particular press release is inconsistent and uncertain within the press release.

The press release trumpeting the results states:

• Most Rewash Pre-Packaged Foods: Over half (60%) of consumers surveyed always re-wash pre-packaged fruits and vegetables (such as ready-to-eat salads), but it's not necessary. Prepackage produce that is labeled as prewashed in a sealed container does not need to be rewashed.

The same press release subsequently states:

* Rewash Pre-packaged Foods: Consumers should always rewash pre-packaged produce that is in an open package or does not specifically state it is prewashed. Rewashing all pre-packaged produce is an additional precaution consumers can take to reduce the likelihood of consuming food contaminated with harmful bacteria.

Scientists have said the re-washing process is more likely to cross-contaminate the pre-washed greens with whatever crap was previously in a sink. The paper is in Food Protection Trends and available here.

The NSF study about inconsistent and incertain practices also contains a couple of other nosestretchers.

* Consumers Can Get Lazy When it Comes to Safe Hand Washing Practices: While 90% of consumers wash their hands after handling raw meat or poultry, a fifth (20%) of consumers aren't using warm water and soap – which is considered the most effective combination when it comes to reducing exposure to bacteria that causes foodborne illness. Warm water may be helpful in removing grease and grime, it’s unnecessary for removing dangerous microorganisms. And 10 seconds is microbiologically sufficient.

“For example, consumers are taking great caution in the initial food preparation stages, as 78% of respondents knew the right way to defrost meat and poultry safely (such as defrosting in a refrigerator), but only 20% of them bother to use a meat thermometer to ensure food is properly cooked.”

Self-reported surveys of food safety practices are meaningless. Nowhere near 20 per cent of Americans use thermometers; it’s less than 1 per cent.
 

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Categories: Food Safety Policy
Tags: Nsf, Rolling Stones, stick, sticky fingers, thermometer

Comments

NSF International says:

Response to "Bad Food Safety Reporting II: Inconsistent and Uncertain Addition"

Mr. Powell:

Thank you for posting your Sept. 9th “Bad Food Safety Reporting II: Inconsistent and Uncertain Addition.” We agree that food safety isn’t simple and to ensure there is no confusion on these important food safety recommendations among your readers, we would like to clarify a few points.  

** Washing Packaged Produce – To be clear, our release indicates both of the following points and, while subtle, the nuance is important to emphasize: produce found in a sealed package that is clearly labeled as pre-washed does not need to be rewashed before consuming; however, if the produce is in an opened container or if the package does not clearly indicate the contents are pre-washed, consumers should wash the produce before consuming.  Rewashing pre-packaged produce is an additional precaution consumers can take to reduce the likelihood of consuming food contaminated with harmful bacteria.

** Washing Hands – As you indicate, while washing hands in cold water (as opposed to warm water) with soap does not pose a food safety risk, consumers should be aware of and strive for best practices when handling food.  While the press release does not state it is necessary (from a food safety perspective) to wash your hands in warm water with soap, it is the recommended method of hand washing according to the USDA: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Cleanliness_Helps_Prevent_Foodborne_Illness/index.asp and CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandWashing/.

** Thermometers - We are not familiar with the statistic that only 1 percent of consumers use a food thermometer when cooking; however, if true, it only further supports our point that there is a need for additional food safety education in the home (e.g., using a thermometer regularly).  As you know, using a food thermometer is the most accurate method of ensuring your food is cooked to proper temperatures, whereas using senses such as sight, smell and taste are not consistently reliable when gauging if meat and poultry are cooked to the proper temperature.

Thank you for your consideration of these points.  We hope this clarification is helpful for your readers.

NSF International

Posted on September 15th, 2010 - 8:43am

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