If you think you`re pretty savvy about food safety, try this quiz from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Answers are given below.
1. What are the most common symptoms of botulism? (a) nausea and vomiting (b) fatigue and blurred vision (c) fever and headache (d) diarrhea
2. Which fish is least likely to contain chemical contaminants such as PCBs or pesticides? (a) bluefish (b) lake trout (c) haddock (d) striped bass
3. You can`t get food poisoning if you thoroughly cook your food and eat it promptly. (a) true (b) false
4. You`re about to make a Swiss cheese sandwich when you spot mold growing on one corner of the cheese and the bread. You should: (a) trim the mold off the cheese and throw out the bread (b) trim the mold off the bread and throw out the cheese (c) throw out both (d) eat both, if they smell OK.
5. What is the most healthful way to cook meat? (a) precook it in a microwave just before broiling or barbecuing (b) cook it over high heat (c)
cook it until well-done (d) all of the above
6. Which food has been associated with food poisoning? (a) chopped garlic (b) honey (c) pasteurized milk (properly refrigerated) (d) raw cabbage (e)
all of the above (f) none of the above
7. Which of these additives has killed people? (a) fumaric acid (b)
propylene glycol (c) sulfur dioxide (d) titanium dioxide (e) all of the above 8. The first symptoms of food poisoning can occur: (a) immediately (b)
within 2 to 48 hours after eating (c) from two days to a week after eating (d) all of the above
9. A plastic dish that is labeled ”microwave-safe” or ”microwave-approve d:” (a) meets or exceeds government safety standards (b) is probably better for reheating leftovers than a cottage cheese tub (c) has passed an industry-wide test showing that it will not release harmful chemicals into food (d) none of the above
Answers:
1. b Unlike most food poisoning, botulism is more likely to affect the nervous system than the digestive tract.
2. c Low-fat species such as haddock that are caught far offshore tend to have the least PCBs and pesticides. Striped bass and bluefish migrate, so they could have high levels no matter where they are caught.
3. b You can get food poisoning if your cooked food touches a utensil, dish, countertop or hand that has been used to prepare uncooked contaminated meat. You also can get sick from toxins in cooked fish if the fish wasn`t refrigerated properly before being prepared.
4. a It`s OK to trim mold from refrigerated hard cheese. Cut off at least an inch around it, and use a new wrap when you`re through. It`s not OK to remove mold from bread, whole grains, flour, nuts, dried peas and beans or peanut butter. These molds can be more dangerous and can spread throughout the food even though you can`t see them.
5. a Pre-cooking in the microwave on high for 30 to 90 seconds just before cooking and discarding the juice will reduce the formation of risky heterocyclic amines (HAs). High temperatures and well-done meat means more HAs.
6. e Never underestimate bacteria.
7. c Sulfur dioxide and other sulfiting agents can be lethal to some asthmatics. Despite their ominous-sounding names, the other additives are harmless. (Fumaric acid makes desserts tart, propylene glycol holds moisture and titanium dioxide is a coloring.)
8. d Most symptoms show up anywhere from two hours to two days. But some toxins in fish could hit you within a few minutes, and botulism could take as long as a week to surface.
9. b Any company can slap ”microwave-safe” or ”microwave-approved” on its cookware. But at least a product with these labels is unlikely to melt in the microwave. That`s more than you can say for a cottage cheese, margarine or yogurt tub.
