The one food you should never eat raw, according to an expert

Food scientist @hydroxide reveals on TikTok the foods that they avoid eating
-Credit:Getty Images


A food scientist has said there are certain foods they would never eat raw, and neither should you. In a clip on Tiktok captioned ‘Two foods I AVOID as a food scientist,’ @hydroxide warns users that they will "hate her" after this video as she reveals two foods to avoid.

The online food guru’s videos have gained traction, with millions of views, as she shares helpful tips and facts about food with her curious followers. She said: “Number one, it’s raw sprouts. I will occasionally eat them, but they are a very, very, very high-risk food.”

The expert went on to tell viewers that foodborne bacteria want to go somewhere hot and moist, and they are thirsty. So where sprouts grow in the ground - a warm, moist, humid environment - is a place that bacteria loves to go.

ADVERTISEMENT

READ MORE: Doctor says breakfast superfood 'boosts energy and beats tiredness'

She said: “You have to think too; if you’re handling a high-risk food, all of that moisture that’s carrying all that bacteria could get on your kitchen supplies, as well as your counters, your sink, and lots of other things.”

With over 6 million viewers, the video has gained a lot of attention on the social media platform, and many viewers are left with a lot of questions.

Food scientist says raw sprouts are one of the two foods she avoids.
Food scientist says raw sprouts are one of the two foods she avoids. -Credit:Getty Images

One worried user commented: “Are sprouts grown in a jar on the counter ‘safer’?” leading the scientist to reply in another video explaining further.

She responded: “I’m sorry, but sprouts grown at home are still a high-risk food, but there are ways to mitigate risk when growing sprouts at home.”

A way to safely grow sprouts at home, according to the food scientist, is to ensure that your seeds are commercially produced and from a reliable supplier.

ADVERTISEMENT

According to Clemson University, between the years 1996 and 2010, there were 34 foodborne illness outbreaks reported that relate to the consumption of sprouts, resulting in 2,150 cases of illness, 123 hospitalisations, and one death.

It is high figures like these that have led to sprouts being labelled as a ‘high-risk food,’ and therefore those with compromised immune systems, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who are taking medications that impair the immune system, are advised to avoid eating them.

@hydroxide also revealed that the second thing she would not eat as a food scientist is "any kind of burger that is cooked more on the raw rare side".

The food expert said that she would usually order a burger well done and explained this was due to mechanically tenderised ground beef.

She said: “Basically, if you take a thing of ground beef and you’re chopping it up with some big old spikes, if there’s a little piece down there that has E. coli on it, salmonella, whatever it is, you’re basically taking that and distributing it everywhere in that ground meat.”

In a second part to ‘Foods I AVOID as a food scientist,’ the creator said that she would also advise people to steer clear of raw oysters.