Selecting Fresh, Uncontaminated Foods

Thank you for the informative article on pre-marinated meats and fruit salads, and your consistent practical approach to provide readers with alternative choices. I would just like to add that an ozonator is beneficial in removing mycotoxins from fruit that might not be exhibiting noticeable mold. Put the fruit in a glass bowl (do not ozonate plasticware) covered with water, and the ozonator diffuser at the bottom of the bowl, and ozonate for 10 - 15 minutes. Ozonating does not harm good bacteria or enzymes but does destroy the harmful ones.

I often work until 6:30, and that puts me home about 7, needing some down time, and then not eating until 9. That’s not good. I would be very concerned about buying prepared raw food, so what I’ve done is invest in an electric pressure cooker. Yes, it still takes time to put a recipe together, but once it is together and in the pot, it cooks quickly, in about a third the time as on the stove top (and with much less energy). I can make enough to freeze a meal or two. Two other nice things about the cooker: it can be set to start cooking at a later time, and it can very quickly thaw and heat up frozen food. It will also keep food hot for up to ten hours. One can put food in before going to work, set the timer, have it cooked and kept warm, so that when one gets home, dinner is ready. It’s been a good investment for me. I can depend on having quality ingredients, delicious recipes, and balanced meals.

The electric pressure cookers differ from the stove top pressure cookers in so far as they cook with steam. There is no steam spewing out the top as food cooks, so they don’t need a lot of water, and they don’t run out of water, causing the food to burn. One can also cook small amounts in them.

I have eaten them before and received mild to "OK" diarrhea in the past. It Usually "passes" by not eating food except for straight coffee and tea with Imodium. However, I think I have found a better method: After boiling bones for 48+ hrs for stock or broth, save the crumbly bits and freeze them. Ham bones work very well since the calcified knuckle is very large. In fairness, any crumbly bones will work. Take about measured table spoon at the outset and go from there. "The cheese that binds" has nothing on this.

Sincerely,

Michael Ponzani

I confess that when I keep steak in the fridge for a few days, sometimes maybe a week, it often goes slimy and smells a bit off but I cook and eat it anyway. I actually find it's even more delicious and tender after it's been aged in the fridge.
I will also put old milk - raw cow's milk that is - in my kephir after it's gone a bit gluggy and smells off. It doesn't seem to harm the kephir bugs and it tastes fine. Raw milk costs twice as much as supermarket milk and I never throw it out just because it's a bit old and fermented.
Maybe I'm just blessed to have a strong gut, I'm not recommending this practice for everyone. In general I'd say it'd be best to follow Dr Ben's advice. 'just throwing in my perspective for what it's worth.

I am extremely sensitive to molds and have found that washing/soaking my blueberries in a 10:1 mixture of Bragg's organic vinegar and water for a few minutes then rinsing and storing in an open container helps extend their storage time without mold.

I am currently suffering from a parasitic infection and I have done a lot of research on them. Some sources of contamination that you may not think of are watercress and water chestnuts. Both can harbor water borne parasites. I have done some research on pork and it has convinced me that the ethnic/religious groups that abstain from pork do it for sanitary reasons that are valid. I no longer eat sushi or any undercooked or raw meats. Organic food from local farmers is my first choice.

Hopefully your client reported the grocery store to the local health officer for investigation. Eating infected chicken can lead to a lot worse than diarrhea.
Another good lesson here is to avoid eating anything in the dark when you can't inspect what you are putting in your mouth. Your rotten apple anecdote reminds me of the jest "What's worse than finding a maggot after you've taken a bite out of an apple?" The answer is "Finding half a maggot".

My Mother taught me how to can tomatoes, green bean's, ect. . I have a pallet for taste, have to have as a cook for my family, or anyone else I cook for. Lot's of folk's get really sick from bad veggies, fruits, ect. . One need's to wash all fruit's and veggies they consume. My husband grows a garden every year, that he's been able to grow one. People that can't smell a fruit or veggie, to see if it's edible or not, should have someone to check it for them. You have to be able to smell food, in order to really taste it. I had 3 boy's, I taught them how to tell by just smelling of a fruit, to see if it was good to eat. I taught my daughter's-in-law's how to can, along with other women older than myself. Some fruit's and veggies look like they are really good, until you cut into them, by smelling them, not just tasting them. A tomato for instant, can really make you sick, even sending you to the hospital, if it's starting to go bad. Anything that's going bad can kill a person. Rule of thumb, cut a good tomato, then cut one that is going bad, smell the good one first, then the bad one, you can then tell the difference. I wash everything, fruit's, and veggies. There are people that blame grocery stores for them getting sick, from eating fresh fruit, and veggies, when it's their fault from not knowing how to preparing them. Smell of everything, only taste a very small amount, and be prepared to spit it out if it taste bad. If it taste bad be sure to not swallow any juice, and rinse your mouth out really good. It's better to throw out than to get sick from eating it. Keep safe and have a very happy New Year.

Thank you so much for this information! I have always thought that mold on fruit was not really harmful since fermented fruits are used to make alcohol! As I don't like to waste food, I often eat fruits (oranges, apples, berries, etc) after cutting out molded portions - Guess I'd better change my habits! Thanks again for your extremely helpful website! Best regards, Sandra (France)