Hello,

I'm wondering if any raw foodist has ever gotten food poisoning in the time that they were raw?

I know that berries, sprouts, and salad mixes are often cited as culprits.

Basically I'm wondering how concerned I should be about this spinach thing - I know raw foodists don't have to worry much about the flu and such - but what about food poisoning?

Thanks for taking the time if you post a response!

Never had food poisoning in my life.

Rob

--
Rob Hull - Funky Raw
My blog: [www.rawrob.com]

Once. I was kayaking camping, and had some greens that had been sitting in plastic bag in my kayak for around two days (California, fairly warm to hot weather). I was throwing up a couple of hours after dinner that night and had to remain in camp the next day missing a day of kayaking. That evening we had to break camp and head home. I was weak enough to consider remaining behind for another day or two until I got my strength back. But with the help of my friends (who took my tent down, packed up my gear and loaded my kayak) I managed to make the couple of miles across the bay back to my car. I went from being the fastest kayaker in the group to the slowest. We had rigged up a tow rope incase I got half way and ran out of steam, also somebody had to stay close incase I capsized (or passed out), in such a weak state taking a swim in the sea would have been rather dangerous. A friend had to drive my car home for me, I was still feeling the after effects for a few days later.

Now I only take dried fruit, seaweed and nuts for food sources while camping, sometimes an orange or grapefruit, but I plan on eating anything fresh really early on in the trip.

Something I never want to repeat. I was lucky I was out with a good group of friends. Had I been alone (which I think nothing of camping by myself), I would have had to wait it out for a few days or use flares to try and summom help.

Cheers,
Ian.

I don't think I've ever had food poisoning, either raw or cooked.

Last week when I bought loose spinach, the cashier tried to talk me out of it!

I was very sad this week when I saw the empty space on the shelf where the spinach was supposed to be.

I guess it's safest to grow your own greens, that way you can control what feeds them. I'd rather feed them with my own homemade compost. I have learned the hard way in my shady backyard that greens are just about the only things that I can grow. But now I know at least where the effort ought to go, which is a good thing really because they are the most expensive part of my diet.

I've had food poisoning three times since being raw (4 years). I actually got very ill a week or two ago, and I'm wondering if it may have been from spinach, because I was eating a lot of those Ready-Pac bags at the time.

I've also gotten sick a few times from sprouted garbanzo and adzuki beans, but I don't know if it was food poisoning or just that those foods are hard to digest. (I got nausea, stomach pains, and vomiting from those.)

I've never had food poisoning (or if I did, I didn't recognize as such).

Thanks so much for the responses, very helpful!

I used to work for a restaurant where they got bagged prewashed baby greens. One time I found a Ladybug among the salad and I also heard of a story where one salad after it was delivered to the table caused screams. It turned out that among the leaves there was a live praying mantis!

The salads quite often are blanched in hot water to wash them. This also denatures the enzymes that might cause the salad to "decay" faster and also it preserves the colour. However bugs might fly into the salad after that. that is mmy guess anyways.

jujube Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've also gotten sick a few times from sprouted
> garbanzo and adzuki beans, but I don't know if it
> was food poisoning or just that those foods are
> hard to digest. (I got nausea, stomach pains, and
> vomiting from those.)

That is because they are toxic in their raw state. That's not the same as being poisoned by bacterial contamination as is the case for bagged salad leaves.

Hi,
I eat home sprouted garbanzo (chick peas) once or twice every week and no problems. I do sort them well before and during the sprouting process though. I find quite a few greenish coloured ones and some mouldy ones which I discard. I'm not sure what it would do to you if you ate those, but cannot be healthy. I find the shop bought sprouted chickpeas to be no where near as fresh and often found mouldy looking ones in the pack.

Anyway I use them for hummus and add garlic and fresh lemon juice (so somewhat protected by that from food poisoning).

I have read though about the chick pea concern if you eat too many. So I try to limit the amount ... just in case.

John