Poisonous Or Unhealthy Foods You Are Probably Eating
Unpasteurized Dairy Products
Unpasteurized dairy products are any product containing dairy that has not been through the pasteurization process. Pasteurization is the mechanism used to remove pathogens from food to make it safe to consume. Pasteurization has lead to a decrease in the rate of transmission of dangerous diseases such as tuberculosis, polio, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, and dysentery. However, some individuals continue to consume raw dairy products that have not gone through this process. Pathogens, including E. coli, salmonella, brucella, campylobacter, listeria, and yersinia, are consumed in the form of unpasteurized dairy. The pathogens that contaminate unpasteurized dairy foods can result in unpleasant and sometimes dangerous symptoms, including stomach cramps, headache, diarrhea, fever, cough, night sweats, and vomiting. These symptoms can last for up to a month in healthy individuals and can become severe in those who have weak immune systems. Populations that are especially vulnerable when it comes to foodborne illness in unpasteurized dairy are the elderly, individuals affected by cancer, individuals affected by HIV or AIDS, children, and individuals who have received a donor organ transplant.
Unwashed Fruits Or Vegetables
Consuming unwashed fruits or vegetables is an unhealthy and unsafe practice for anyone who consumes fresh produce. Fresh produce was the source of the most extensive foodborne illness outbreak of the United States within the last century. That outbreak occurred in the year 2011 due to listeria contamination. Many individuals feel their fresh produce does not need to be washed with water before using it cook or eating it. The reason is most likely related to the general perception that water does not sanitize anything by itself. Some individuals will neglect to wash their produce when they plan to cut or peel the skin off and discard it. This can cause illness because the knife cutting through the skin of the fruit or the fingers peeling it can spread pathogens from the produce skin to the inside of the fruit or vegetable.
Most individuals who neglect to wash their fresh produce habitually before cooking or consuming it do not think of several factors. The fields and orchards where the produce is grown are often watered from a local well source that has no type of regulation or testing standards. Contaminated water is transferred into the soil and onto the fresh produce during farming. Additionally, produce farmers are known to utilize one of the best known affordable fertilizers called manure. Manure is feces, and feces are a quick way to spread pathogens from one organism to another. Insects and parasites that feed on produce can leave behind contaminated material on the fruit as well. Simple but thorough washing of the fresh produce with water can help prevent these foodborne illnesses.
