MythBusters! Home Food Safety!!
Have ya’all seen the commercial of the gal that keeps saying “I saw it on the Internet? They can’t put it on the Internet if it isn’t true!!” Then her ‘french model’ blind date arrives? Cracks me up every single time!! But, that’s how a lot of what we think is true is in our heads. We saw it on the Internet, we heard it from a friend…. that’s what Mom taught us….and so on. So MythBusters Home Food Safety wants to debunk some of those myths and let us know how much of that information is actually true!
To help consumers protect themselves and their families from food poisoning, the Ad Council, USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, FDA and CDC and their Food Safe Families campaign as well as the Partnership for Food Safety Education are setting the record straight on food safety to save you time, money and most importantly, peace of mind, that your food is safe for your family’s consumption.
I failed…… I actually only got one right!!
- MYTH #1: “If I microwave food, the microwaves kill the bacteria, so the food is safe.
Nope! False! Harmful Bacteria may remain! Be sure to follow cooking
instructions including stirring, rotating and letting food stand when indicated.
- MYTH #2: “Of course I wash all bagged lettuce and greens because it might make me sick if I don’t.”
True! Whew! I got this one right! If the bag says “READY to EAT” you don’t have to wash
them. But, other fruits and vegetables yes! you must wash them thoroughly!
- MYTH #3: “I don’t need to use a food thermometer. I can tell when my food is cooked by looking at it or checking the temperature with my finger.”
False! Did you know color, steam and texture are not always indicators that a food is safe to
eat? Always use a thermometer.
- MYTH #4: “I can’t re-freeze foods after I have thawed them – I have to cook them or throw them away.”
False! (with a stipulation) If raw foods have been thawed in the refrigerator they may be
refrozen without cooking for later use. Now if you’ve thawed your food in cool/cold water or
in the microwave then you can not refreeze it!! (I did get that one right!)
What other food safety myths have you found that was wrong? I’d love to know if got all 4 myths right! Come on you know you want to mock me…. so come on…. how many did you know??
There is more information and educational materials on food safety at
3 Comments
Rosie
One myth I realize now is that just b/c you buy your food at Whole Foods doesn’t mean you need not be as careful, you still need to take all precautions. Another myth I thought making my own sprouts I didn’t need to worry about food poisoning. They suggest you buy sprouts specifically for sprouting, unless you are going to cook them to a safe temperature.
Diane K.Brimmer
Guess I failed as well! I don’t have a thermometer and I thought that food in the microwave was safe. It comes out so hot it will burn your mouth. Well maybe my tongue is bacteria free after the burning! LOL
Anonymous
well I guess you could say I failed #3 cause I don’t own a thermometer