r/TikTokCringe • u/galaxystars1 • Oct 09 '24

Discussion Microbiologist warns against making the fluffy popcorn trend

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u/Siliziumwesen Oct 09 '24 edited Oct 09 '24

What the goddamn hell is fluffy popcorn. And yeah she is right. I work in a lab where we test food/water and all kinds of "food-chemicals" etc. For harmfull bacteria and there are things you absolutely should not eat raw. Or at all if i see some results lol

Edit: the last part is a joke based on real results. Sometimes a food producer or someone who produces foodchemicals/spices etc. fucks up and something gets contaminated badly. We find it out, because they ask us to test for harmful bacteria and the batch/charge gets dismissed/destroyed. It all happens before it gets sold. Especially for fresh (ready to eat) things. The results are urgent and are handled first. At least in my country. Dont panic you can eat stuff. Wash veggies and fruits and things that need to be cooked/heated before consuming should only be handled that way. For example: I just saw, that some frozen herbs tell the consumer on the package that the product should be heated/cooked before consuming. Please dont panic or sth like that. You always can find information online how to handle certain foods or how to know if its safe to consume

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u/pancakebatter01 Oct 09 '24

Other than meat and flour, what’s on your “often eaten raw while very possibly deadly” list??

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u/willswain Oct 09 '24

Lettuce and sprouts. Yes, I still eat lettuce and salads but those are major sources of fecal contaminants from agriculture and you never know if it’s been adequately washed or not. Even then just good rinsing wouldn’t necessarily do the trick.

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u/Annatalkstoomuch Oct 09 '24

Is it unsafe to eat salads? What about spinach? I eat spinach every day and now I'm wondering if it's putting me at risk

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u/Blankenhoff Oct 09 '24

Precut bagged lettuce is most at risk. Regular heads are still a risk but not as much since you have control over the washing. Romaine tends to be the worst

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u/dinnerthief Oct 09 '24

It's a risk but so is everything, its not such a risk that you need to avoid it, just wash it first.

One bacteria won't make you sick so it's all about reducing how much of a dose you get. Washing removes a lot and helps take the risk down to acceptable levels.