Whilst you can never be 100% certain about the quality of what you are eating nowadays, there are still dishes that you should try to avoid. Here are 18 dishes to steer clear of if you want to stay safe.
Rare or undercooked meat
As A Taste of Home highlights, consuming rare or undercooked meat can expose you to harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter. All three diseases cause symptoms that range from gastrointestinal discomfort to severe illness and, in extreme cases, death.
Undercooked eggs
If you are not careful, eggs that are not properly cooked can make you sick. They can sometimes contain bacteria that damage your immune system. This is especially true for at-risk groups such as pregnant women, young children, and the elderly.
Raw sprouts
When eaten uncooked, sprouts are often associated with a wide range of foodborne illnesses. They are grown in warm and humid conditions, which are ideal breeding grounds for bacterial growth, causing them to have bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella.
Unpasteurized milk and dairy products
There is a reason why pregnant women are told to stay away from unpasteurized milk. Dairy products made from unpasteurized milk can contain many dangerous bacteria. As the products have not passed through the pasteurization process, they have not been heated up, and the bacteria have not been killed. Due to this, the CDC advises not to eat them.
Pre-cut fruits and vegetables
While buying pre-cut fruits and vegetables can be super convenient, they can also be home to lots of bad bacteria if they are not handled properly. Contaminated equipment or improper storage conditions can lead to bad bacteria multiplying and a higher chance of a foodborne illness.
Buffet dishes
Buffet-style restaurants are challenges in themselves when it comes to food safety, as dishes are out in room temperature rooms for extended periods of time. This environment is perfect for bacteria to grow fast and cause foodborne illnesses if proper safety measures are not applied.
Sushi made with raw fish
The raw fish commonly found in sushi is a breeding ground for parasites and bacteria. When handled properly, this is perfect. However, if not handled properly, the risk of getting sick from raw fish increases greatly.
Uncooked shellfish
If we follow Healthline’ advice, we should avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish, like oysters, clams, and mussels, as they can contain vibrio bacteria, which, if ingested, can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses and bloodstream infections. This is especially true for those who already have weakened immune systems.
Street food
Street food can be delicious and good for the finances, but it normally isn’t that good of an idea for your stomach. Its preparation process doesn’t always follow the most hygienic food preparation rules, and cross-contamination can increase the risk of it getting you sick.
Ceviche
Ceviche is a popular dish from Peru made with raw fish marinated in citrus juice. While citric acid can help kill some bacteria, it does not kill all the bacteria present in raw fish—especially if the fish is not fresh!
Potato salad
Potato salad is made with mayonnaise, which can spoil very quickly if not kept at the correct temperature. If left at room temperature, bacteria can multiply very quickly and increase the odds of you getting sick.
Tuna salad
In the same vein as potato salad, tuna salad, which has been made with mayonnaise, can spoil very quickly if not stored properly. This danger can be avoided by keeping the tuna salad refrigerated until ready to serve and eat, according to Cosmopolitan.
Raw cookie dough
There’s nothing tastier than raw cookie dough or raw cake batter, but it can also be dangerous as it exposes you to bacteria that can be found in raw eggs, which can cause you to get a stomach bug. The only way to avoid this risk is to eat only properly cooked cookies and cakes.
Unwashed fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables come from the ground and trees, so it is important that they are washed before they are consumed. This is to avoid the risk of exposure to bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella.
Stuffing cooked inside poultry
Although this might be a Thanksgiving Day staple, if the stuffing inside the poultry doesn’t reach a safe temperature, bacteria might multiply. The easy way to avoid this risk is to cook both items separately and then put the stuffing inside once it is properly cooked.
Raw honey
Raw honey may contain a potentially deadly bacteria called Clostridium botulinum. This bacteria is especially dangerous for babies and can cause severe illness. Adults usually have stronger resistance to these bacteria.
Unpasteurized juices
Raw juices, like raw dairy products, are a breeding ground for bacteria that are harmful to humans. This is especially the case if they are not pasteurized or treated with high pressure, which is the process that would kill most of these bacteria.
Pâté
Pate is a dish that is made from liver and other ingredients that can contain hazardous bacteria such as Listeria. If you find yourself pining for pate, you can reduce your chances of getting sick by eating only commercially prepared pate that has been pasteurized to kill any bad bacteria.
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