The Partnership for Food Safety Education helps consumers get the facts, deflating common myths about cross-contamination and the growth of harmful pathogens that cause food poisoning. Here are their myth busters for 2014:

Myth 1: It’s O.K. to wash bagged greens if I want to. It’s even better for them.

Fact: While intuition says that giving ready to eat, washed or triple washed salad couldn’t possibly hurt, the truth is otherwise. An extra rinse will not enhance safety, but could potentially lead to cross-contamination from pathogens that could be on your hands or on kitchen surfaces. Ready-to-eat greens are just that: ready!
 
Myth 2: Cross-contamination doesn’t happen in the refrigerator. It’s too cold in there for germs to survive!

Fact: Some bacteria can survive cold environments like the fridge. In fact, Listeria monocytogenes grows at temperatures as low as 35.6°F. A recent study from NSF International reveals that the refrigerator produce compartment is one of the germiest place in the kitchen, containing salmonella and listeria bacteria.

Don’t rinse raw chicken before cooking it. Salmonella can contaminate other items in the sink. Photo courtesy Chicken.ie.

Fact: Using a clean cloth or paper towel to blot dry fruits and vegetables after rinsing is more important than you might realize. Research has found that taking a minute to dry the produce reduces the level harmful bacteria that can remain on the surface.

Myth 4: I don’t need to rinse this melon for safety, since the part I eat is on the inside.
Fact: There are many pathogens on the rind that can contaminate the edible portion. A knife or peeler passing through the rind can carry them from the outside to the inside. The rind also touches the flesh when sliced pieces of melon are stacked on a platter. Play it safe and rinse the melon under running water while rubbing it with your hands or scrubbing it with a clean brush and then dry it before slicing.

FOOD SAFETY TRIVIA

 
For more food safety information, visit FoodSafety.gov.

If you like oatmeal raisin cookies, try them for a nice change of pace: Here, sweet dates and salty nuts combine with chocolate and oatmeal for a happy holiday treat.

Food trivia: Before sugar arrived in Europe* from the Asia, dates were widely used as a sweetener in baked goods.

RECIPE: DATE NUT COOKIES

Ingredients For 5 Dozen Cookies

Dates: the world’s first sweetener. Photo courtesy Superior Nut Company.

Tasty cookies with whole-grain oats. Photo
and recipe courtesy Wisconsin Milk Marketing
Board.

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Beat together the butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and almond extract; mix to combine.

2. COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in separate bowl. Add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats until combined. Add dates, pistachios and chocolate; mix well.

3. SHAPE the dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in a shallow bowl containing 1 cup sugar.

4. PLACE on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies on pan for one minute or until set; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Store the cookies in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

You can make veggie fries, which substitute all or some of the potato for a more nutritious vegetable, from scratch at home.

Or, you can buy Veggie Fries, a new line that has debuted offering:

 
The all natural line mixes better-for-you vegetables and legumes in with potato, to deliver more fiber and vitamins. The fries are low in sodium and gluten-free.

The company tried more than 300 recipes to create the perfect veggie fries: extra crispy on the outside, fluffy and tender on the inside. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Learn more at EatVeggieFries.com.

One of the new fries in town: Broccoli Veggie Fries. Photo courtesy Healthy Life Brands.

Serve them with your favorite condiments, or try a new one, like ponzu sauce—an Asian alternative to the malt vinegar preferred by the Brits instead of ketchup. Or take a look at these more unusual, sophisticated condiments from Chef Johnny Gnall.

If ketchup is your condiment, take a look at the best ketchup brands. For example, blend your own chili paste and honey or hot sauce, a dip of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce, or flavored mayonnaise.

And consider creating a signature fries recipe with different toppings.