24 replies to this topic

[Simon]

I don't know about you but my mind tends to wander off the job when I'm out shopping, usually onto something more interesting. And I have to tell you this week was no exception. It happened in the fruit & veg aisle whilst I rummaged through the mushrooms, the dirty mushrooms, the mushrooms contaminated with filth…

Now I know the plastic bag I put the mushrooms in would probably have been manufactured under category B, BRC/IoP, and the cardboard dispensing box along with the carrier bag I took them home in under category A. The quality and safety of the packaging was assured so how come the food itself can be shamelessly adulterated with bacteria loaded scuzz.

Well…a bit of soil is probably good for you and even more so with an extra splat of cow pat - It's organic you know! The fact remains mushrooms are sold dirty. And when you think about it long and hard it's an anomaly in today's food safety delirious world that just doesn't seem right.

The other thing that struck me - when you grab a handful of mushrooms your fingernails dig into them…it's unavoidable. If the digging digits were owned by an individual with poor personal hygiene this action could easily transfer a few million food poisoning bacteria deep inside your mushroom.

What do you think - Is it OK for Mushrooms to be Dirty?

Regards,
Simon

[Franco]

What do you think - Is it OK for Mushrooms to be Dirty?

Yes it is. They must be dirty :D Cleaning mushrooms

I didn't know that cleaning mushrooms was a challenging task Mushrooms cleaning procedure

[Franco]

The fact remains mushrooms are sold dirty.  And when you think about it long and hard it's an anomaly in today's food safety delirious world that just doesn't seem right.

Hi Saferpakers,

what about lettuce cleaning ?

In my childhood, a long long time ago, my gradma taught me how to clean lettuce.

Since that time, I've been wondering if she was right or not and why.

She was, we have THE ANSWER, the scientific proof. :D

Cleaning lettuce

Saferpakers, beware of chlorine bleach B)

[Blunden]

Are the mushrooms to be cooked?
If so then proper cooking will kill the bugs.
If not then select your clean mushrooms from a clean source and use immediatelyand consume immediately.
Would you pick wild mushrooms and think them better than shop bought?
My father in law always reckoned to gather mushrooms in a particular field 'cos that was where the horses were grazing and their additions to the soil provided the necessary nutrients for good mushrooms to have with his breakfast.......he was hale and hearty into his eighties.

[Simon]

My father in law always reckoned to gather mushrooms in a particular field 'cos that was where the horses were grazing and their additions to the soil provided the necessary nutrients for good mushrooms to have with his breakfast.......he was hale and hearty into his eighties.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah mushrooms...that old chestnut!

I think the extensive poll we carried out in the thread below conclusively confirms your father in law's theory.

http://www.saferpak....p?showtopic=571

By the way welcome to the forum Blunden. If you get a chance please sign the Guestbook.

http://www.saferpak....p?showtopic=620

Regards,
Simon

[Puzzle]

Saw a can of 'magic mushrooms' on the supermarket shelf the other day!!!!

I thought 'I'll have some of that'

Turned out to be a brand

Think they have a sense of humour....................

[Charles Chew]

Hi Puzzle,

Had a good laugh out of this..............Magic Mushrooms....yeah right!

Oh, by the way. if it ain't dirty, it ain't mushrooms.

Charles Chew

[wayne]

Dear All

I had a couple of brown spotted mushy last night; it was nice to go with butter. Ops, pain in me belly.
Can someone help me.

Regards

Wayne

[Charles.C]

Dear Wayne,
You have a choice of BCP contamination (s).
A more detailed analysis would require more, ah, personal data.
This thread seems to be in need of data on the typical existence of bad, and not- so- bad bacteria etc in mushrooms
Do vegetarians have longer lives statistically ?
Rgds / Charles.C

Edited by Charles.C, 12 July 2006 - 08:11 AM.

[wayne]

Dear Wayne,
You have a choice of BCP contamination (s).
A more detailed analysis would require more, ah, personal data.
This thread seems to be in need of data on the typical existence of bad, and not- so- bad bacteria etc in mushrooms
Do vegetarians have longer lives statistically ?
Rgds / Charles.C

Charles

My engineering friend told me that the blotchy mushy I had contained bacteria toxin - produced by the pathogen something like "Ps tolaasii". I am not sure what it is.

Vegetarian food is good - cholesterol free, fat fee, chlorophyll free but may contain undesirable pigments and acry----.

My engineering friend will find out more for me, by then I should be able to tell you more about this.

Have a nice weekend.

Wayne

[Simon]

My engineering friend told me that the blotchy mushy I had contained bacteria toxin - produced by the pathogen something like "Ps tolaasii". I am not sure what it is.

It's Ok Wayne I know all about this.

Tolaasin is an antimicrobial peptide toxin produced by Pseudomonas tolaasii and consists of 18 amino acids with a molecular mass of 1,985 Da. It is a pore-forming toxin, and pore formation on the plasma membrane results in the disruption of various cell membranes. P. tolaasii causes a disease, known as brown blotch, on the cultivated mushrooms. P. tolaasii 6264 was isolated as a pathogenic bacterium from the dark brown and sunken caps of cultivated mushrooms with disease symptom. Bacteria were cultivated and tolaasin molecules were purified from the culture supernatant by several steps of chromatographies. Two isomers of tolaasin, Tol I and Tol II, were isolated from the purified tolaasin preparation as major and minor components, respectively. When the purified tolaasin was incorporated into lipid bilayer, two types of ion channels were identified based on the gating behaviors and conductances. The slope conductance of type 1 tolaasin channel was 150 pS with linear current vs. voltage relationship. The type 2 tolaasin channel had two subconductance states of 300 and 500 pS. Ion channel formation of tolaasin was concentration-dependent, and single channel current was successfully obtained at 0.6 unit tolaasin. At higher concentration than 0.8 units, membrane became unstable and highly fluctuating currents were observed. However, spike-shaped currents by incomplete and brief openings were obtained at the concentrations below 0.6 units. Tolaasin-induced microsomal 45Ca2+ leakages were measured from 45Ca2+-stored microsomes. Microsomal 45Ca2+ release was reached maximal level at 0.8 units. Interestingly, a small amount of release was also observed at low concentrations of tolaasin without forming a complete channel. These results show that tolaasin forms two types of ion channel and the formation of membrane channel is dose-dependent.

It's quite simple really.

Well it was for Young-Kee Kim from the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Chungbuk National University, Korea. When he/she wrote Purification and Ion Channel Formation of a Pseudomonas Peptide Toxin, Tolaasin.

And I heard that here:
http://www.sinica.ed.....t Invited.htm

[barraboy]

Hi first post here for barraboy. I never knew food safety could be so interesting and dare I say funny. I only just found the network and am impressed with the information on here. Fry up's will never be the same again. lol X I voted dirt.

[just me]

Something of the dirt topic. May be oldnews to some of the experts here, but apparently, dried mushroom contains sulfites too.

Beware those who are allergic to it.

Recall -- State Press Release
Consumer alert: Undeclared Sulfites In Dried Mushrooms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Brooklyn, NY -- August 3, 2006 -- New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick H. Brennan today alerted consumers that Korica International Inc., 98 Bay 35 Street, Brooklyn, New York 11214, is recalling certain "Dried Mushrooms" due to the presence of undeclared sulfites. People who have severe sensitivity to sulfites may run the risk of serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume this product.

The recalled "Dried Mushrooms" are packaged in a 5-ounce, uncoded, plastic bag. They were sold nationwide. They are a product of China.

Routine sampling by New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Food Inspectors and subsequent analysis of the product by Food Laboratory personnel revealed the product contained high levels of sulfites which were not declared on the label. The consumption of 10 milligrams of sulfites per serving has been reported to elicit severe reactions in some asthmatics. Anaphylactic shock could occur in certain sulfite sensitive individuals upon ingesting 10 milligrams or more of sulfites.

No illnesses have been reported to date to this Department in connection with this problem.

Consumers who have purchased "Dried Mushrooms" should return them to the place of purchase.

[Simon]

Thanks for posting the news JM.

Simon

[Jenny]

Hello All:

We also have problem with dirty mushroom imported to US lately.

Mushroom/Fungus products, problem with FDA

Problem with import mushroom: filth.
Any mushroom imporant from china, Hong Kong have automated detection and filth test. The mushroom supplier has to pay money out of their pocket to pay for lab testing, to show clean results to FDA. One test costs about $US 500.
Way to take out from automated detection:
Get sample, send to lab, after 5 time detect, if no filth find.
Importer company agrue that everyone knows need to wash mushroom before using.
In nationwide, not every state agency have full knowledge of chinese culture. At least chinese government set law to requre mushroom need to be washed before import. (but if you wash it you can’t sell it in reality).


Best regards,
Jenny

[Simon]

Hello All:

We also have problem with dirty mushroom imported to US lately.

Mushroom/Fungus products, problem with FDA

Problem with import mushroom: filth.
Any mushroom imporant from china, Hong Kong have automated detection and filth test. The mushroom supplier has to pay money out of their pocket to pay for lab testing, to show clean results to FDA. One test costs about $US 500.
Way to take out from automated detection:
Get sample, send to lab, after 5 time detect, if no filth find.
Importer company agrue that everyone knows need to wash mushroom before using.
In nationwide, not every state agency have full knowledge of chinese culture. At least chinese government set law to requre mushroom need to be washed before import. (but if you wash it you can’t sell it in reality).
Best regards,
Jenny

Are you being for real Jenny?

[Jenny]

Are you being for real Jenny?

The above essay I wrote was the information from mushroom importer aspects. From myself as a consumer, of course, I expect to buy safety mushroom from the shelf.

Jenny

[Simon]

The above essay I wrote was the information from mushroom importer aspects. From myself as a consumer, of course, I expect to buy safety mushroom from the shelf.

Jenny

You nearly had me there, no actually you did have me.

Simon

[GMO]

I guess it's balancing risk - of course it's better if they are clean but if they are cleaned industrially, it will bruise and damage the mushrooms which could make things worse. Most vegetables in the UK are sold unwashed or not washed to a hygienic standard as anything sold loose will be recontaminated by all the consumers putting their (unwashed, no doubt after visiting the toilet) hands in!

I like to see a bit of dirt on other veg too. Soiling prevents carrots and potatoes from going off. I think people understand the risks if they see dirt just like they know raw chicken is dangerous but if it's some halfway house where the dirt has been removed but it's not hygienically clean, I think people won't understand they need to wash it again.

[Jean]

Mushrooms should look fresh with firm and smooth caps and should not look dried out. The moist appearance will increase the spoilage rate. Dirt can be found at times on mushrooms which are cultivated on the compost soil or tits and bits of the substrate / peat moss used for growing. Moreover the mushrooms should be cleaned prior to cooking. It is ok to find the dirt which can be cleaned with a wet cloth or soft brush and rinsed in cold water.

[Simon]

I like to see a bit of dirt on other veg too. Soiling prevents carrots and potatoes from going off. I think people understand the risks if they see dirt just like they know raw chicken is dangerous but if it's some halfway house where the dirt has been removed but it's not hygienically clean, I think people won't understand they need to wash it again.

False sense of security - good point GMO.

Mushrooms should look fresh with firm and smooth caps and should not look dried out. The moist appearance will increase the spoilage rate. Dirt can be found at times on mushrooms which are cultivated on the compost soil or tits and bits of the substrate / peat moss used for growing. Moreover the mushrooms should be cleaned prior to cooking. It is ok to find the dirt which can be cleaned with a wet cloth or soft brush and rinsed in cold water.

Thanks Jean.

[itay.sh]

Most mushroons sold in Israel are cleaned on sterilized compost. No risk of contamination in buying a dirty mushroom.

[MRios]

Itay,
How do you make sterilized compost? Just wondering...
Interesting thread! Especially when someone says they´re being given the mushroom treatment: kept in the dark and being fed "compost".
Anyhow, in my country we wash all vegetables, with soap. Even so, I heard that Salmonella was found in tomatoes in the US. Something to do with the Salmonella being on the pores on the skin, and when the tomatoes were washed with cold water, the pores closed, bringing the Salmonella into the tomato.

[Tony-C]

Most mushroons sold in Israel are cleaned on sterilized compost. No risk of contamination in buying a dirty mushroom.

Hi There

I am sure you meant grown on sterilised compost, but how do you stop the compost from being contaminated?

Regards,

Tony

[Inesa]

I never saw dirty mushrooms in the shop.. they're normally packed nicely clean and I'm not talking about luxury shops.
If I saw dirty mushrooms? well if I see that they're fresh and don't look like mushroom+shit porridge, no problem