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Food Safety Myths, Busted

You dig deep in your pocketbook and comb grocery stores to find foods you think are fresh and safe to eat. But all foods -- regardless of the way they were produced -- need to be handled and stored properly to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. September is National Food Safety Education Month and Cooperative Extension joins the non-profit Partnership for Food Safety Education to bring you the "2011 Food Safety Mythbusters".

2011 Myths

• Myth 1: Freezing foods kills harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning. (1.08MB PDF)
• Myth 2: I eat a vegetarian diet, so I don't have to worry about food poisoning. (1.1MB PDF)
• Myth 3: Plastic or glass cutting boards don't hold harmful bacterial on their surfaces like wooden cutting boards do. (1.1MB PDF)
• Myth 4: Locally grown, organic foods will never give me food poisoning. (1.1MB PDF)

Even though these myths are from 2010, they're still relevant today.

2010 Myths

• Myth 1: Leftovers are safe to eat until they smell bad. (1.6MB PDF)
• Myth 2: I use bleach and water to sanitize my countertops and the more bleach I use the more bacteria I kill. (1.6MB PDF)
• Myth 3: I don't need to wash my produce if I am going to peel it. (1.6MB PDF)
• Myth 4: The stand time recommended for microwaveable foods is optional, it's just so you don't burn yourself. (1.6MB PDF)