Thursday, October 8, 2009
Scary stuff on your citrus: A recent study found microbial growth on 70 percent of lemons served with beverages.
When the waitress at your local restaurant serves you a refreshing iced tea or water, you may be tempted to give that lemon wedge garnishing your drink a squeeze. But it may actually be better to toss it in the trash.
A 2007 study published in the Journal of Environmental Health found that 70 percent of lemons tested at 21 different restaurants in the New York City area contained microbial growth. Yikes!
Lemons can pick up germs from workers’ unwashed, grimy hands or from unclean cutting boards. “They could have cut up some raw chicken then used the same board to slice the lemons,” says Anne LaGrange Loving, professor of microbiology at Passaic County Community College in New Jersey and one of the scientists who conducted the study.
Lemons can also pick up bacteria if they are left sitting out for long periods of time. “Sometimes they slice the lemons at three in the afternoon to prepare for the dinner rush,” Loving says. But that means hours of people walking by them, breathing on them and spilling things on them.
That bright lemon slice on the rim of your glass may look innocent, but it could make you sick, Loving says. A bacteria-ridden lemon wedge could cause an infection, especially if you have an open sore on your lips or gums.
You might want to reconsider what’s lurking on the lemon before taking a sip.
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