The four supermarket items that food safety experts says they avoid at all costs

A food safety inspector has dished the dirt on the groceries that experts avoid while shopping, providing a peek into the professional precautions taken by those who understand the industry inside and out. The Food Standards Agency lays down the law on food safety in the UK, and like the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, it sets the standards for everything sold, sourced, distributed, and stored to safeguard consumers' health. Dr Bryan Quoc Le, a food chemist and consultant, has shared which products he personally avoids.

Unpasteurised milk, also known as raw milk, is at the top of his no-no list. The dairy drink skips the pasteurisation process – a heat treatment that zaps pathogens and boosts shelf life – leaving it in its natural, albeit riskier, state. Without this crucial step, raw milk can be a hotbed for harmful bacteria like salmonella, E.



coli, listeria, and brucella, posing a significant threat to those who consume it. The inspector told the Mirror , "There are a lot of people who tout [raw] milk as having all these health benefits, but it's just not worth the risk because there are a lot of pathogenic organisms that are still alive in that milk, especially if it's coming straight from a processing facility." Dr Bryan has a golden rule for navigating the aisles of supermarkets: avoid the pre-cut produce section, particularly sliced-up products in grocery and convenience stores.

"If you're going to eat pre-cut produce raw, you are dealing with the same amount of microbial risk as you would with sprouts," he warns. He said: "I don't know what the person behind the counter has done while cutting the produce and what practices they implement. Packaged food, by law, has to go through a stringent process, but food that has been produced on-site doesn't necessarily.

" He singled out pre-cut melon as a particular danger zone due to its susceptibility to bacterial contamination. Food safety experts echo this sentiment, urging shoppers to be vigilant with pre-cut fruits and veggies, recommending a good wash and careful storage to "minimise the risk of foodborne illnesses". Professor Kali Kniel, a microbiologist from the University of Delaware, has specifically pointed out the hazards of eating raw sprouts such as radish, alfalfa, and clover.

Despite their healthy properties, these sprouts can be breeding grounds for harmful pathogens like E. coli and salmonella. "In order for sprouts to germinate, the seeds cannot be adequately disinfected to kill all the salmonella that could be there, for example," she said, "But, in saying this, let's keep in mind that there are sprout growers who are doing a great job and pay close attention to cleaning and sanitation.

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