Take it with a pinch, no, a bag of salt!

.

Food Australia, who should know better, published an article earlier this year titled "Contaminated reusable grocery bags pose health risks" (63 (5) - May 2011). It was based on an article by Gerba & Sinclair entitled "Assessment of the Potential for Cross Contamination of Food Products by reusable Shopping Bags". You can download the full article here.

The article suggests bacteria, including E. coli, flourish in the green bags.

And the are probably right. The same way bacteria can flourish in pretty much any environment. Because bacteria is IN the environment. If they had done their survey by swabbing the jeans of the shoppers rather than the bags, they would have got similar results.

And as for soaking the shopping bags in meat juices and leaving them in a car boot (trunk) for two hours - well, duh!, of course bacteria levels will increase.

It was all a bit odd and I had a niggling suspicion, which is why I chased down the original article rather than relying on the summary in Food Australia. My suspicion was confirmed in the following line:

"The authors would like to acknowledge and thank the American Chemistry Council for providing funding to support this study."

So, the American Chemistry Council, a body that includes all the plastic (bag) manufacturers of America in its ranks funded the research.

Doesn't mean it's wrong but there are flashing lights all over it!
...

Coming back for (five) seconds - The Five Second Rule

.

I can't believe some people - I only recently caught up with the supposed Five Second Rule and it is just bizarre.

In essence, it says that if you drop something on the floor, you have five seconds where it is safe to pick the food up. It implies that bacteria wont hop onto the food in that time.

Sure.

Now, if it is a crisp (above) there will be minimum contact with the floor and most respectable bacteria would not worry about trying to live on a crisp anyway.

But what if it is a swab the surgeon is going to use on (in!) you in an operation? Still so sanguine?

The more sloppy the food, the more likelihood of bacteria hopping on board as it makes better contact with the floor.

But there are some provisos:

1. If the food is really sloppy it will leave a layer on the floor and there will not be much or any transfer onto the food.

2. The other issue is the one of what is known as the infectious dose. Sure some bacteria will get on the food but there will not be enough to make you sick unless you put it somewhere to grow the numbers a bit. eg too it into the salad you are making for lunch in three hours time.

3. What about interesting things like worm eggs from your dog, cat, hamster? (Erk!)

Radioactive Calamari

.

Every so often we get stories that go along the lines of :

"I went out to the kitchen in the middle of the night to get a glass of water. I didn't turn the light on and I saw the food in the cat bowl was glowing!

Is it radioactive?"

Most spectacular when it is calamari rings.

No, it is not radioactive, it is just active. With bacteria.

Pseudomonas fluorescens. A common spoilage bacteria that secretes a fluorescent pigment. It is generally harmless to humans unless they are already immunocompromised.
...


...