Which Health Shortcuts Are OK?

Eating Unwashed Fruit

Risk Rating: 5

That apple from the roadside stand looks so luscious, you want to bite right into it. But if you don't take an extra few seconds to wash it off, you could be swallowing a lot more than juice―for example, soil that contains bacteria, bird feces, insect residues, and good old dirt. If you get some animal waste in a bite, it can lead to a salmonella or campylobacter infection, which can cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. "Always wash fruits and vegetables before eating, whether they're from farm stands or they're organic or conventionally grown," says Sam Beattie, a food-safety extension specialist at Iowa State University, in Ames.