However, even products we choose believing they are fresh and healthy may, in fact, cause hidden harm. Food engineers have therefore outlined the products they would never buy from either markets or grocery stores.
They stressed that the most critical factors when purchasing food are maintaining the cold chain, traceability, and packaging safety. Here are six food groups that food engineers say they would never keep in their kitchens:
Milk and Dairy Products
Due to their high protein and water content, milk and dairy products are ideal environments for microbial growth.
If the cold chain (keeping milk at +4°C from milking to consumption) is broken, these products can become serious health threats.
Temperature changes destroy nutritional value and allow bacteria to produce heat-resistant toxins that cannot be eliminated even by boiling, potentially causing long-term health problems.
Illegal chemicals added to mask spoilage further expose consumers to microbiological and chemical risks.
Uncovered cottage cheese, butter, and kashar cheese are exposed to dust, insects, and airborne microbes, while improper temperatures encourage the growth of deadly bacteria and toxin-producing molds.
Cottage cheese can become toxic very quickly, butter can undergo chemical spoilage due to oxidation, and shared cutting tools increase cross-contamination risks in cheeses like kashar.
Unrefrigerated Meat, Poultry, and Deli Products
When sold without refrigeration, these products remain in the "danger zone" at room temperature, allowing pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter to multiply rapidly.
In meat and poultry, this can lead to the spread of heat-resistant toxins that cause severe food poisoning and organ damage.
In deli products, broken cold chains also promote Listeria growth and chemical degradation of fats.
Unlabeled or Cracked Eggs
Eggs without barcodes or with visible dirt or cracks pose a high risk of Salmonella.
Dirt on the shell harbors bacteria, and even tiny cracks allow microbes to enter and multiply.
Without traceability, there is also a higher risk of consuming stale eggs or being exposed to antibiotic and drug residues.
Out-of-Season Fruits and Vegetables
Produce sold out of season is often exposed to high levels of synthetic hormones and pesticides to compensate for the lack of natural growing conditions.
These chemicals can accumulate in the body, causing hormonal disorders and long-term health issues.
Such products also have lower vitamin and antioxidant content and may contain synthetic waxes and preservatives that burden the digestive system.
Oils, Sauces, and Pastes in Plastic Packaging
High fat and acidic content can cause harmful chemicals such as BPA and phthalates to migrate from plastic into food, disrupting the hormonal system and contributing to issues ranging from infertility to obesity.
Plastic also accelerates oxidation and allows microplastics to leach into acidic foods like tomato paste and sauces, increasing cancer and toxicity risks—especially when exposed to heat and light.
Finally, food engineers emphasized that these risks are even more critical in households with babies, children, elderly individuals, pregnant women, or people with weakened immune systems, urging consumers to be far more cautious about what they eat.
