00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those foods that can become
00:11lethal or cause some kind of health hazard if either stored, cooked, or prepared improperly.
00:22Number 10.
00:23Rice.
00:24With my rice I like to have some cow, cow, cow, it tastes so very good I don't know how,
00:30how, how.
00:31Rice, both uncooked and cooked, can harbor bacteria known as Bacillus cereus, which yes,
00:37can cause food poisoning.
00:38And the longer cooked rice is left out at room temperature, the more time the bacterial
00:42spores have time to multiply.
00:44So what can you do?
00:46Serve cooked rice as quickly as possible for one.
00:49Ideally, cool freshly cooked rice within no more than an hour, and then keep it in the
00:53fridge no more than a day.
00:55Check your country's food safety agency for advice, since some countries differ on timelines,
00:59and when it comes to reheating, do not reheat rice more than once.
01:09Number 9.
01:10Chicken.
01:11With chicken, the number to remember is 165.
01:17That number has nothing to do with calories or grams of protein, but rather, it's the
01:21internal temperature you want to cook your chicken to.
01:24Why?
01:25It's called Salmonella, and it is, according to the CDC, the bacteria responsible for the
01:29most food-borne illnesses and can also kill.
01:32And it's estimated that one in every 25 packages of chicken at the supermarket is contaminated
01:37with said bacteria.
01:38So first off, you want to be careful during the preparation process, and wash everything
01:42that touches the raw chicken, hands, utensils, cutting boards, you name it.
01:47And then, when you cook it, getting that internal temp to 165 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the
01:51killing of any Salmonella and other similar heat-sensitive pathogens.
02:00Number 8.
02:01Kidney beans.
02:02When it comes to beans, you're probably thinking that the most deadly thing about them is what
02:05emanates from people after eating them.
02:07Yeah, we went there.
02:14And while we definitely don't want to discount that, we're talking about actual serious health
02:17risks here.
02:18Raw kidney beans contain a toxin called phytohemagglutinin.
02:21They should be soaked overnight, then have that water discarded, and then must be boiled
02:26for a minimum of 10 minutes at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
02:29And let's not forget about raw lima beans, which contain linamerin, which, when eaten,
02:34turns into cyanide in your body.
02:35So be sure to cook them incredibly thoroughly as well.
02:39Number 7.
02:40Wild game.
02:41Animals raised and slaughtered in sanitized and controlled environments can still have
02:44bacteria on them.
02:45Imagine animals out there in the wild.
02:47Bears, deers, hares, and other animals out in the wild can find themselves filled with
02:51both chemical and natural toxins and parasites from their environments.
02:55And if you eat any of these wild animals, whatever is in them could easily end up in
02:59you.
03:00Which makes proper preparation and cooking that much more important.
03:02Make sure the meat is butchered and cleaned thoroughly, and that it's cooked through to
03:06a proper temperature as well in order to kill any potential bacteria.
03:09Number 6.
03:10Shellfish.
03:11When we talk about shellfish, it's Vibrio bacteria that is the main danger, although
03:22there are others.
03:23This particular form of bacteria lives in the waters where many types of shellfish can
03:27be found, and as such, can easily contaminate them.
03:30This makes proper cooking essential, as Vibriosis can cause great intestinal distress and can
03:35also kill about 1 out of every 5 people afflicted with it.
03:38If we're talking raw oysters, there's no cooking involved, of course, which makes it
03:42a risky meal choice without doing your due diligence in terms of provenance and time
03:45of the year.
03:46Same deal for mussels and shellfish in general, don't cook any with open shells, and then
03:51discard any that do not open during the cooking process.
03:59Number 5.
04:00Halkarik.
04:01If you're from Iceland or have ever visited the beautiful country, then you probably know
04:04what Halkarik is.
04:06For the rest of you, Halkarik, the national dish of Iceland, is fermented shark.
04:11As the meat decomposes, it oozes toxic ammonia.
04:15Or more specifically, fermented Greenland shark, or similar types of sleeper shark.
04:19To say it's an acquired taste is possibly an understatement about the flavor profile here.
04:24But beyond the taste factor, the bigger issue with Halkarik is how dangerous it can be if
04:28not prepared properly.
04:29When the meat is at a perfect rotten state, it's hung to complete the breakdown process.
04:35Greenland sharks have a high level of urea and trimethylamine oxide in their flesh, and
04:40this can be quite poisonous if you eat enough of it.
04:43However, the traditional months-long fermentation and drying preparation, if properly done,
04:47nullifies the toxins, making it safe to eat.
04:54Number 4.
04:55Elderberries.
04:56Talk about two extremes.
04:58On the one hand, elderberries are one of the most popular medicinal plants on the planet
05:02and are also enjoyed for their delicious flavor.
05:04While on the other hand, if not prepared properly, they could make you very sick or even, in
05:09extreme cases, kill you.
05:11And by prepared properly, we're talking about two main things.
05:14First off, the berries must be fully ripened.
05:17And second, the leaves, twigs, and the seeds of the berries can be deadly and must be avoided,
05:22as they contain a glycoside that produces, well, cyanide.
05:26And that ain't good.
05:27So straining and preparing elderberries properly is critically important.
05:30Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.
05:37Number 3.
05:38Cassava.
05:39While cassava might not sound familiar, they could just be because you know it better as
05:42yucca.
05:43And if yucca still doesn't ring a bell, we're pretty sure you've heard of cassava starch,
05:46or as it's more commonly referred to, tapioca.
05:48We don't want to scare all you bubble tea lovers out there, but yes, those yummy pearls
05:53in your drink originally contained dangerous levels of cyanide.
05:56Prior to being properly prepared and turned into the boba tea that is slurped up through
06:01that extra large straw.
06:02There are two classifications of cassava, bitter and sweet.
06:05And while both need preparation to reach non-toxic levels, the bitter ones require more steps
06:09and said process.
06:15Number 2.
06:16Potatoes.
06:17While some people prefer french fries, some like mashed, and others are all about scalloped.
06:21That's not what we're talking about when we say watch out for cooking potatoes the wrong
06:24way.
06:25We're talking about first taking a good look at your potato and making sure it isn't sprouting
06:28or green.
06:29Here's why.
06:31Potatoes contain glycoalkaloids, including one called solanine, which, if you eat too
06:35much of them, could make you sick or even kill you.
06:38Which brings us back to those sprouts, as they are an indication of elevated levels
06:42of glycoalkaloids.
06:43If they're small and not numerous, you could potentially cut them out, although that is
06:47not a 100% guarantee.
06:49However, too many and too big?
06:51Just throw it all out.
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07:13Number 1.
07:14Fugu.
07:15OG The Simpsons fans will know exactly what we're talking about here, but assuming you
07:25season 2 episode, or aren't well-versed in classic Japanese cuisine, allow us to enlighten
07:29you on fugu.
07:30Fugu means a poisonous puffer fish, and we don't use poison lightly here either.
07:34These puffers can kill you if you ingest the wrong part of them.
07:37We won't act like we know the safe way to prepare and serve the fish.
07:40In fact, the safe preparation of fugu is so difficult and precise that restaurant chefs
07:45in Japan, Korea, and many other countries must complete three or more years of training
07:49to even be allowed to prepare it.
07:54Do you know all these food facts?
07:55How about any we missed?
07:56Let us know in the comments.
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