Accidentally Ate Unwashed Stir Fry Vegetables, Worried About Food Poisoning - Need Advice!

[KestrelMum]

Hey! I need your help and advice. Tonight, I had a mishap in the kitchen that has left me worried about potential food poisoning.

I made a stir fry using some fresh vegetables I bought from the shop. I was in a rush and didn't realise until about halfway through eating that I had forgotten to wash the vegetables before cooking them.

I used mangetout, spring onions, sugar-snap peas, and organic purple sprouting broccoli.

After the mishap, I looked online and I stumbled upon some news about people getting seriously ill, and dying from consuming unwashed lettuce ETC. This has made my worries go through the roof!

I understand that unwashed vegetables can potentially harbour harmful bacteria, and I'm concerned about the risks associated with eating them, although they were very well cooked - not firm and crunchy, more like soft.

I’m reaching out hoping to get some advice on how to mitigate the potential dangers or ease my mind.

I suffer from terrible health anxiety and fears that I'm going to die and leave my son, since becoming a mum, and although this probably seems quite minor to some, I'm extremely scared right now.

Thank you!

My OH 'washes' his fruit under cold running tap

Yes that will eliminate all trace of pesticides 😆

Ok if there's visible dirt I will rinse it off but otherwise 🤷‍♀️

I wash off the mud from celery and potatoes

That's it

You'll be fine OP

Bagged salad is different. You don’t cook it. The heat will have killed anything. Try not to worry, hard I know with anxiety.

Never washed any fruit or veg in my life and I’m never ill and never had food poisoning. Hope that helps!

Hello and thank you all so much for your replies.

I should have mentioned that it was not a pre-packed stir fry, but various veg that I grabbed separately. I pre-chopped it all and put it into a container ready to wash, but when it came to cooking, I just forgot the whole washing part.

Regardless, it seems that many people do not wash veg, so I’m hoping we’re okay this time and I feel much more reassured by the comments saying the heat should have killed any nasties.

Once again thank you all so much, I can’t tell you how much it’s helping me.

Hate how my anxiety can take over at times like this and make me feel insane with worry.

Never washed any veg before cooking, unless there is visible soil.
I only wash salad if my husband is watching.
We’re all pretty healthy here.

You cooked them. Will be fine.

I only wash veg if they are going in a salad or will be eating raw e.g carrot pepper sticks?

I never wash anything. I've never had food poisoning!

@CC4712 No, I don’t. It is probably something I should consider but I never feel like my anxiety is serious enough to warrant treatment I guess? Yet here I am crippled with it. My own worst enemy I guess

Very interesting that many people tend to keep the washing to raw stuff!

I hope this thread helps others in the future if they're in a similar situation feeling anxiety or worry ♥️

If you’re crippled with anxiety and it can make you feel like you’re going insane then you absolutely need to seek treatment. This won’t only be affecting you.

The heat of cooking will have killed the germs.

You fried them which will have killed most nasties. I think reaching 60C gets most, but a stir fry was probably much hotter.

Ah please don't worry, I think only "dangerous" stir fry veg is beansprouts. I sometimes give a rinse, or cut my leeks like a pp to get the soil out, but I'm not too worried. Sorry for your anxiety, it's shit ❤

Hope you are feeling reassured OP and can now relax.

Most “unwashed” vegetables sold in the Uk are actually washed during processing/packing, though not thoroughly enough to remove things like grit from spinach, leeks, etc. (My dad provided software solutions to food processing companies and frequently visited plants).

Most stir fry type vegetables will be clean enough. Even if they’re not, the high temperature used for stir-frying will kill anything nasty. The only veggies that need to be really thoroughly washed are those that you’re going to eat raw.

Please don’t worry, you’re very, very unlikely to be unwell.

@KestrelMum

I only wash fruit/veg/salad that has dirt on it, unless my friend is here, then I go through the pantomime of washing everything.

I have NO idea what people think rinsing under a cold tap is going to achieve??

I really think you would benefit into getting some help for your anxiety, it's no way to live xx

I never wash it, it is cooked at a high temp which kills bacteria?

I don’t wash veg that needs peeling.
I do rinse cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, and cabbage oh and celery in cold water. Just fill a sink with cold water and swish the veg round and then drain. I eat cauliflower and white cabbage raw, it’s mainly to get any grit or soil off after nearly breaking tooth on a small stone once.
I wash lettuce, just rinse it under cold running water, no big deal.

I think it would be worth you having a chat to someone professional about the level of your anxiety. It is upsetting you - but even if you choose to live with it, you should consider whether you want to pass on this amount of worry to your son? Perhaps it would be better for you both if you get some help with this? I hope you feel that you can. It can't be good for you to feel with anxious.

Ops! Yes! She has NEVER had food poisoning and chomps through so much veg straight out the bags like crisps. That reassures me a lot that's it safe. She has eaten multiples of her body weight by now