Red kidney beans and soya beans need to be boiled for ten minutes to destroy a harmful protein called haemagglutin, which can cause severe gastroenteritis. Tinned beans are already cooked, it safe to eat straight from can, you don't even need to heat them. But, if you're using dried beans soak them overnight first, drain off the water they soaked in, add cold water then bring them to a rolling boil for ten minutes. If you're slow-cooking a chili con carne or bean stew, it's best to boil the beans first.
If you buy fresh rhubarb, throw away the leaves. They contain toxic levels of oxalic acid, which can block the body's absorption of calcium. There's also some in the stalks (and in spinach), but not enough to do any harm unless you have a tendency to form kidney stones. Rhubarb occasionally has a laxative effect.
Throw out any potatoes that have gone green - don't just cut off the green part. They contain toxin called solanine that cause stomach upsets and diarrhea and has been know to kill. It's already present, in smaller amounts, when potatoes start to sprout, so use them up quickly or bin them if you see signs of sprouting.
When you're preparing a meal, always use one knife and chopping board for raw meat or seafood and another for all other foods, washing them (not just wiping down) after each use. It's only way you can be sure you're not spreading live bacteria from raw food on to anything that isn't going to be cooked. If you had raw meat on a plate in the fridge, wash it up as soon as you take the meat off - don't put the cooked meat or any other food on the unwashed plate.
Food poisoning from fruit and vegetable, though rare, is increasing as out of season produces is flown in from farther away. Just occasionally it can pass on parasites : worms and other organisms that live in your body an can make you run down or ill. Healthy though salads are, they really have to be well washed - unlike cooked vegetables, they won't go through any cleansing heat treatment.
In fact, it's a good idea to wash produce even if you're going to cook it, since heat doesn't kill all germs. This is also gives you a chance to pick out any insects, grit or anything else that might be hiding in the leaves. Fruits and vegetables may have been sprayed with yet more pesticide after harvesting then waxed. Scrub fruit and vegetable in warm soapy water or the special washes available in health food shops, using a stiff brush kept for this purpose only.
Make certain you've got all the wax off, if there's any, then rinse everything well. It's advisable to peel root vegetables, though this isn't the complete answer since some of the pesticide residues may have permeated all the way though. Most of the vitamins are just beneath the skin, too. The best answer really is to buy organic root vegetables that have been raised in clean soil without the use of chemicals. Even these need at least a rinse, to remove any grime they're picked up since they left the farm.
Important Points:-
o Wash your hands before you cook, after touching raw meat or seafood, then before you eat.
o Don't let any other food touch a knife, or chopping board, or container you've used for raw meat.
o Wash or peel all fresh produce.
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