Bacteria

[TATTRAT]

Very true, BT...lol, but I know in Joisey, that can be an "out of sight, out of mind" thing.

90+% of all Food Borne Illnesses can be prevented by, 1= washing hands, and 2=basic sanitary measures.

Treat equipment like your hands: if you use them in ANY food preparation, wash the darn thing.

 

[GotGarlic]

Bingo, most people never think to soak and clean with a brush the wheels on a can opener especially after opening cans of meat like tuna.Have you ever seen the crud that can build up on one of those?

You'd think there would be much more food poisoning in this country if that were really an issue. I'm not disagreeing that people never think to clean it - I sure don't, in fact I don't like to get it wet because it gets rusty. But if it's so bad, there should be a lot more cases of food poisoning.

 

[kitchenelf]

You'd think there would be much more food poisoning in this country if that were really an issue. I'm not disagreeing that people never think to clean it - I sure don't, in fact I don't like to get it wet because it gets rusty. But if it's so bad, there should be a lot more cases of food poisoning.

Food poisoning doesn't have to be full-blown hanging your head in the toilet for 6 hours. It can come in the form of a milder upset tummy, which you really don't know the reason for and don't think much about because it was "just one time". It can also be as simply as a bacteria entering our digestive tract and hanging out for a couple days while we assume we've gotten a contagious "bug".

And buckytom - I am NOT clicking on that link!!!! I don't want to see that

 

[GB]

Kitchenelf that is exactly what I came in here to post.

When you have an upset stomach, that can be food poisoning. Got a headache? It could be food poisoning. Many people say "I have done xyz and never had food poisoning in my life". the truth is they do not know that.

 

[jennyema]

Mine goes in the dishwasher after every use.

Mine too.....


Also, I haven't mentioned it here but I got what the doctor told me was probably eColi in October.

Symptoms started on the golf course during a tournament. It was horrid and embarassing. I'm pretty careful in the kitchen, a frequent hand washer and Purell-er. I probably got it from eating out. Or possibly from bagged salad that I had washed.

Even if you take precautions you can get sick, but taking precautions is so easy that IMO there is absolutely no reason not to make it a habit.

 

[Andy M.]

Kitchenelf that is exactly what I came in here to post.

When you have an upset stomach, that can be food poisoning. Got a headache? It could be food poisoning. Many people say "I have done xyz and never had food poisoning in my life". the truth is they do not know that.

My favorite is the "stomach flu".

 

[YT2095]

I must be Really paranoid then, I even wipe the Can before opening it!

you just Never know who`s had their mits on it or where it`s been stored etc...

 

[krichardson]

The can opener can look pretty sketchy, especially a commercially used Edlund "hand jammer" can opener. For those in a restaurant setting, you know exactly of what i speak...and for my experience, the health inspectors LOVE to get you on the can opener.

A home based can opener deserves the same amount of attention to detail as any other tool. Clean as you go, if you use it, WASH IT.

Totally agree! Anytime I've been through a health inspection the can opener is one of the first things the inspector looks at. It should be sanitized with every use.

 

[Andy M.]

I must be Really paranoid then, I even wipe the Can before opening it!

you just Never know who`s had their mits on it or where it`s been stored etc...

I do that too.

 

[GB]

I must be Really paranoid then, I even wipe the Can before opening it!

you just Never know who`s had their mits on it or where it`s been stored etc...

I always do that as well. Even if it is just to wash the dust off so that doesn't go into my food.

 

[Jikoni]

I must be Really paranoid then, I even wipe the Can before opening it!

you just Never know who`s had their mits on it or where it`s been stored etc...

YT, I actually wash the top of the can before opening(with soap)You are not too bad YT.

 

[Corey123]

There's a can opener here that was left by the person who rented the apt. before me.

It was so repulsive, gross and beyond comprehention!! I removed the ctter assembly, soaked it in some hot water with some bleach and Dawn, washed the outside of it with more bleach and it looked like new again. I've only used it once or twice. But at least it's clean.

I now use an Oxi safety can opener which NEVER comes in contact with any of the food in the can, so it stays clean. I just wipe it with a damp cloth before using it again.

 

[justplainbill]

My favorite can opener is a Lund Jr. if I have several cans to open, but it's a pain to clean; so I often use a Swiss Army Knife can opener or a GI can opener that used to come with K-Rations because they're much easier to clean.

 

[Callisto in NC]

I have a safety can opener that never touches the food, only the rim of the can. I don't worry about it since, well, it never touches the food.

 

[mozart]

OK, not trying to start a food fight here, but can openers are not really a high risk piece of equipment in a home kitchen, even if left unwashed.

Food poisoning requires a specific chain of events in order to occur. The most important is a food borne pathogen being present. So a cutting board used for chicken is an obvious risk. A can opener come in contact with food that is free of pathogens. Canned food can become contaminated after opening, but are not contaminated before. So the can opener contains a small amount of the canned food product on the cutter.

How does pathogenic bacteria get on the cutter? They don't fly around in the air. Usually, if a cutter was to become contaminated, it would be by the cook putting his contaminated fingers on the cutter. That can happen even while cleaning if good hygiene practices aren't followed.

Yes, I wash my can opener, because I don't like dried pieces of foreign food in my pears, but I don't worry about getting food poisoning from it.

 

[Corey123]

I got an old Swing-Away can opener that still works and is clean, but the cutter blade has rusted from repeated washings.

I wonder if the thing is still deemed safe to use, as rust is not something that anyone would want their food to taste like.

 

[Michael in FtW]

I got an old Swing-Away can opener that still works and is clean, but the cutter blade has rusted from repeated washings.

I wonder if the thing is still deemed safe to use, as rust is not something that anyone would want their food to taste like.

LOL - you've got two different issues there, Corey ... food safety and taste. I don't think Ferrous Oxide (rust) is really a bacteria growth medium .... and, hey, most of us could use a little more iron in our diet!


Now - to the other posts - and not directed at Corey ...

I was raised to always wash the can lids before opening ... not only to remove dust but to also remove any possible residue from insecticides that may have been sprayed in the store where the cans were in storage.

I was also taught to always wash my can opener ... and yeah, over time it did get a little rusty ... but that was never a real factor since it was so minimal - more like staining than anything else.

And, yep, got several of those old military can openers - keep one on my keychain. Used them since I was in the Boy Scouts ...

Yep - used my hunting knife to open cans, too ... and the "eagle-claw" can opener on my Scout knife. These were always fastidiously cleaned after each and every use ... I wiped them off on my pants leg.

These days - I'm on my 3rd "clean cut" can opener (the kind that cuts from the side and doesn't touch the food) ... the first two left little fine strands of metal fuzz sitcking out around the lip of the can that I didn't really want to get into my food .. yummy, eating a Brillo pad.

BUT - if I'm opening a can of tuna ... I always reach for the old top-cut can opener so I can press down on the top to drain/squeeze the excess oil out of the tuna.

 

[Corey123]

Also, beware of any dead small or tiny insects that might be on the tops of cans that have been sitting for a while, especially cans of veggies, fruits, soups or tomatoe products that you might have stocked up on during the summer to use in the winter.

I've encountered this problem many, many times! A quick rinse under the faucet using hot water should get rid of them.

Also, if you see ANY cans of food whose tops have started to bulge outward, then GET RID OF THEM! Don't even bother opening it, just throw it away!!! You could be opening a can of worms (no pun intended)!

I've had cans of cranberry sauce that have started to leak liquid that had thickened and turn to a sticky syrup! Didn't save them, just tossed them. When in doubt, THROW IT OUT!