Just in case you’re not willing or able to watch the video let me give you a brief synopsis:
Apparently someone decided to test lemon wedges at a restaraunt for bacteria. They found fecal bacteria :eek: on the skin of the lemons. They tested I’m not sure how many lemons in 21 restaurants and said that they found 25 different kinds of bacteria and that 77% of lemon wedges tested were carrying some kind of bacteria. I watched the video and found it to be sensational and somewhat low on scientific merit so I have questions. (and while I considered putting this in GQ I figure it’s mundane and pointless enough for this forum. Mods, move if you must)
First of all she says 77% and then says that 2 out of 3 lemons were carrying bacteria. Which is it? 77% or 2/3? Is the reporter just really bad at math or is she creating a meaningless statistic. Certainly if one is pulling statistics out of one’s ass one can expect a certain amount of fecal bacteria.
The reporter was in NJ and presumably the restaurants tested are in NJ. To me that just means that New Jersey is a filthy place (something which I have always believed but mostly because my second husband was from NJ and he was an asshole and you know asshole = fecal bacteria) but I wonder if the filth has leaked to surrounding states. What about NY? PA? There are a lot of NJ transplants in FL where I live, did they bring the bacteria with them?
And in all seriousness
Can bacteria survive the temperature of a glass of iced water or tea?
Has anyone actually gotten sick from a contaminated lemon wedge? You’d think with the 77% figure that people would be getting sick in droves but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Finally, would watching a report like this put you off having a lemon wedge in your tea? What if the lemon wedge is in a vodka and tonic? Will the alcohol kill the bacteria.
I haven’t watched it (I can access it but no sound) but it sounds like just another FUD piece. “OMG! Thar’s poop on yr lemons WTFBBQ!!11!one!” Did they mention how much bacteria, on average, they found on the lemon slices? I mean are we talking a single, insignificant proto-colony here or do these lemons need a wad? I mean, there’s bacteria everywhere, on everything. Have you seen where our vegetables grow? OMG, there’s fecal bacteria everywhere! It’s covering the whole ground, it’s revolting!
:rolleyes:
Without doubt there are some restaurants whose cleanliness is questionable enough that the health department needs to give them a stern talking to, but 66%? Or 77, or 104, or whatever the hell new math statistic you want to use? I highly doubt that – even in New Jersey.
My experience, from cases where people suffered food poisoning from seafood that had been kept too long in restaurant refrigerators and was served cold, is that common bacteria can easily survive at around 0 C, and that such food needs to be cooked properly or discarded to be safe. But that doesn’t answer the question of whether there were enough bacteria on the lemons to be dangerous.
Why stop with the lemon wedges- you could probably get similar stats with any uncooked resturant item, and depending on the hygiene of the kitchen help, some of the cooked items as well. The FDA allows a certain amount of poo and the like on each foodstuff- did they say if this was over the allowable limit for lemons?
Our ancestors used to pack lemons up their rectum years ago as they migrated across from Siberia past Florida on their way to South America. This allowed them to carry oranges and grapefruit in their hands, instead of trying to squeeze them in there too. In fact, it’s why we refer to them as “colonists.” Repeated for generations on end, it’s what eventually caused the butthole to pucker. If it didn’t hurt them, I think we’ll probably be fine with a little pooey on our lemons too.
Do I have a cite? Are you kidding? For that load of pure D bunk?