to be worried I'm going to get food poisoning?!

[beebeebeeb]

Ordered my favourite sandwich from my favourite cafe.

2 bites in I noticed what looked like a little spinach flower poking out of the sandwich. Pulled it out- and it was covered in mud. 3 more surrounding leaves also had mud on.

I checked the rest of the sandwich and all other leaves were clean (but I picked them out anyway) and ate the rest of the sandwich...because I try not to over-worry about these things...

But I'm quite emetophobic so now terrified I'm going to get sick

I went back after I finished it and let them know (finished the sandwich as I considered not going back to tell them as they are lovely in there) then realised I should tell them!

Trying to rationalise that I probably didn't eat any mud as it was in a slightly different part of the sandwich, and also I didn't taste it... and even if I did, it won't make me sick...

Please reassure me!

Stop bloody worrying about nothing! It's a bit of dirt- we all eat unknown bits of dirt all the time and it does not give you food poisoning. Food poisoning is created by bad bacteria which would more easily be in your sandwich due to poor hygiene in the sandwich shop.

If you feel that awful about a bit of dirt you should avoid eating out and make at home to then go and sit somewhere nice.

I totally empathise, OP, I'm emetophobic too and frequently worry everyday about things I've eaten which may have had the merest speck of dirt. You'll probably be totally fine, try not to worry. It's actually good to get some dirt inside you!

You can get clostridium botulinum in soil however the chances of it are so small - you'll be fine

You're not going to get sick from a smidge of earth.

Sickness comes from live germs or their waste products, generally speaking.

With sandwich salad odds are good it's largely sterile mud as it'll be from massive greenhouse growers who are very careful about bringing infectious agents into the hothouse.

@Sojo88 trying my best not to worry- not easy though!

@TheHighestSardine thanks, that's a good point about 'sterile' mud. Not like the cat poo on my garden fruit and veg

trying my best not to worry- not easy though!

Yes, I know it isn't and it really sucks I'm sure you'll be fine though.

I'm emetophobic so I totally get the panic, but I try to think about toddlers who put god knows what in their mouth and don't get sick - the other day I had to fish a snail out of my DD's mouth and she didn't suffer any ill effects.