Since health officials seem to have very little idea about the source of the recent salmonella outbreak, perhaps it’s wise to educate ourselves a little more on the basics of food safety. Test your knowledge with Forbes’ list of some common food-safety misconceptions. The list, inside…

The misconceptions:

“You can wash it all off”
Sometimes the contamination is within. With veggies like raw bean, alfalfa, clover or radish sprouts, it is possible that the seeds have been contaminated.

“Local means safe”
According to the scientific director of the Food Safety Network at KSU, “It’s more important to ask whether a farm is located near a high concentration of wildlife, what type of fertilizer is used, what water source is used and how often it is tested and what hygiene practices were used during the harvesting, storage and transportation processes.”

“Fruits and vegetables are safer than meat products”
Because fruits and vegetables are often uncooked, anything they into contact with could contaminate them.

“A meat thermometer isn’t necessary”
Instead of guessing, experts recommend a meat thermometer to be sure.

“Cooking kills everything”
You knew that proper cooking protects you against botulism and mad cow disease, right? Wrong, it doesn’t.

“Food left out is harmless”
According to the USDA, foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and casseroles should be discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours. If it’s 90 degrees or hotter, then one hour.

For more delicious factoids, check out 8 Common Foodborne Illnesses And Their Symptoms.

In Depth: Top Food-Safety Misconceptions [Forbes]
(Photo: Meggito)

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