By Natalie Belva
Many Floridians mistakenly consider all types of fruits and vegetables to be equally safe, according to a recent study by UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education.
The PIE Center’s fourth public opinion survey, in which 510 respondents shared their perceptions of food production in Florida, asked state residents about food safety, food security and genetically modified food.
Results from the current study show that respondents perceive frozen vegetables and frozen fruits as the most safe, as 73 percent agreed or strongly agreed frozen vegetables are safe and 72 percent agreed or strongly agreed frozen fruit is safe.
Although the majority of respondents agreed that both fruits and vegetables are safe whether dried, frozen, canned, or raw, only 63 percent feel that raw fruits are safe, the lowest percentage of all fruit options. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed stated that raw vegetables are safe, the lowest next to dried vegetables.
But the frequency of foodborne illnesses caused by contaminated fresh produce has grown “to the point where the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration have become very concerned,” according to IFAS associate dean for research Doug Archer.
“The idea that consumers would see this as almost level, that none of them are any more dangerous than another reflects a real lack of something we may not have done a very good job of explaining,” he said.
While the process of freezing vegetables requires blanching, thus removing bacteria from the produce, the Food and Drug Administration states that by thoroughly washing raw produce prior to peeling, cutting, eating, or cooking, fruits and vegetables are safe for consumption.
Salmonella is the most commonly seen pathogen, and mostly found in poultry products, but fruits and vegetables are not immune to these outbreaks. Between 2011 and 2012, 325 illnesses were confirmed as a result of a nationwide outbreak attributed to contaminated cantaloupes. The Listeria epidemic in 2011 left 33 people dead following unsanitary storing conditions and a lax cleaning system. In 2008, the United States saw the largest Salmonella outbreak since 1985 as 1,442 people across 43 states were infected through, jalapenos and serrano peppers, as well as tomatoes.
Food recalls and government inspection and regulation are major preventive measures but being vigilant in consumers’ own food preparation processes is an effective measure in preventing foodborne illnesses, Archer said.
When asked to rate the relative safety of beef and pork products, 55 percent of respondents perceived steak as the safest. The ground products, sausage and ground beef, had the lowest level of perceived safeness, with 47 percent.
Sausage poses the lowest risk of foodborne illness in terms of meat and poultry products, according to a 12-year study released earlier this year by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The riskiest meats identified were ground beef and chicken, consistent with survey responses.
Just over half of those surveyed believed chicken is safe, with 51 percent agreeing or strongly agreeing, compared to 65 percent of respondents who perceived milk as safe and 66 percent who felt similarly about eggs.
“Food is personally relevant to folks,” PIE Center Director Tracy Irani said. “It’s one of those things we care about and have more emotion and concern about than the other kinds of issues in agriculture and natural resources.”
Starting in February 2014, the PIE Center will revisit their public opinion surveys in order to track changes in public opinion over time. Previous subjects include water quality and quantity, immigration reform and endangered species.
