How clean is your food?
It’s pretty much impossible to tell, especially if you’re buying conventionally-grown food. Almost every week there’s another horrific food-borne illness scare, so this subject is very much in the forefront of my mind.
I happened to bump into Mareya at an event the other night and after discussing her fantastic award-winning product line of Eat Cleaner products, I asked if she’d answer a few questions that I know you probably have too.
Mareya Ibrahim is an 18-year veteran of the food industry and a food safety expert. She is the owner of Eat Cleaner Products. Mareya was nominated for the 2011 NRDC Growing Green Awards as a thought leader and above all she’s a mom of two and a fantastically Gorgeously Green woman! So meet Mareya..
How did you get into the green/healthy space and what made you want to start your company?
I started my career in the natural products industry 18 years ago in Boulder, Colorado, so I really cut my teeth in the world of green and natural health. Back then, my father, an Environmental Scientist and MA in Agriculture, kept feeding an idea he had about cleaning pesticide residue and other contaminants from fresh food. I parked it in the back of my mind, but after he was diagnosed with cancer about 6 years ago, I knew I wanted to bring it to life. He is my rock, and this company is about honoring his brilliance and giving families a simple, safe, effective way to enjoy cleaner, safer, longer lasting food. With our global food supply, we believe families are the last line of defense to protect their plates.
There is so much fear around food safety now – do you think the media has accurately reported what’s going on?
I think the media is reporting it ok but I don’t feel that they’re giving consumers a real sense of security in knowing how to proactively eat safer nor adequately highlighting the people whose lives have forever been changed by the devastating effects of food borne illness. The recommendation is always ‘rinse with water’ but water is not an effective cleaner. What else do we wash with water along and call it clean, yet food that’s traveled an average of 1,500 miles, grown in fertilizers and manure and touched by 20 different sets of hands gets a casual flash through the faucet. My fear is that with recalls happening almost weekly, people will start to get apathetic about it when in fact, we need to get militant and demand better solutions and education.
Which foods do you think pose the greatest risks aside from the obvious like chicken and eggs?
People are often surprised to hear that fresh produce was among the top 10 recalls of 2010 and continues to be a big concern. Just in the last few months alone, we saw sprouts in Germany and Cantaloupe in the US causing the worst cases of food borne illness in the US and the world in history. Because of these foods exposure to the elements, handling, fertilizers, etc. they need to be cleaned carefully and effectively, including the skin. For example, any fruit or vegetable with a peel should be washed on the outside, even if the peel won’t be eaten, because when you pass your knife through it or peel it with your hands then touch the inside, you’ve increased your risk of cross contamination. Chicken and seafood should be washed and handled properly to address cross contamination issues and all meat products need to be cooked to proper temperatures, about 165-170F internally. Anything raw also needs to be paid special attention to as well, since cooking does help to kill bacteria.
How can we best remove pesticide residue from our produce? Is it really possible to remove most of it? Pesticides are a loaded word right now, but it’s important to really understand what the term means. There are natural and synthetic pesticides and not all are unsafe and not all are good for the environment. Some pesticides have a half life that in theory, should dissipate before we ever ingest the food. But generally speaking, we can remove about 70-99.8% of pesticides if they’re washed properly, and Eat Cleaner is lab proven to do so. Compared to water, it is over 99% more effective.
Can pesticide residue be harmful on cutting boards and counter surfaces? Residue can transfer from foods to cutting surfaces and utensils so it is important to properly clean all surfaces while preparing them. The Eat Cleaner Wash + Wipes can be used to do so. We make the only food grade wipe on the market, so you can feel safe that whatever touches your food is safe. Same goes for hands. You should always wash your hands well before and after preparation.
Can your wipes and sprays protect us from getting infected with the more serious bacteria like salmonella etc? Our products have undergone 6 different independent lab tests and have proven to be up to 99.9% effective in addressing bacteria like salmonella, E.coli, listeria and coliform bacteria. They have also been tested on harmful pesticides that are banned outside of the US but still used here with 99.6-99.8% efficacy in removing them from foods like apples, which are at the top of the Dirty Dozen list.
How should we use your products to best effect? Use the Eat Cleaner Fruit + Vegetable Wash on all produce by spraying all surfaces and letting the product sit for 2-5 minutes then rinse. The Eat Cleaner Seafood + Poultry Wash should be sprayed on all chicken, shrimp, fish and other surfaces and can be left on – no rinsing necessary. The Eat Cleaner Individually wrapped Wipes can be used to clean firm skinned produce items (e.g. apples, plums, nectarines) and are convenient and a lifesaver for when you’re on the go traveling and on the go. The Eat Cleaner Canister Wipes are great for cleaning all contact surfaces and safe enough for hands, mouths and utensils.
What are the ingredients in your products that keep us safe? With two children of my own, we wanted to create a solution that would be safe for them to eat and use to help out in the kitchen! Our patent-pending formula is a synergistic blend of plant-based antioxidant and cleansing ingredients that are all FDA-approved and food grade and continues to protect your food from yeast, mold and bacteria growth after it’s been treated. We built on our Egyptian heritage and a practice of the pharaohs and how they treated their fresh food to keep them safe and extend shelf life. Our products are found in Whole Foods, Stater Bros, Sprouts, QVC.com and Eatcleaner.com, among others.
