Onion Myth (HOAX) Just Isn’t Cutting It.

(archived from www.glennlittrell.org)

The following information is in response to a popular Chain E-mail [see ‘Original Message’ section below]

[print in red/bold and graphics are usually a link to a reference or source article]

The Chain E-Mail/eRumor is FALSE:  It is a Hoax! 

From TruthOrFiction website
The Truth:  There is no medical evidence that onions attracts viruses.  Onions have been mythically thought to ward off diseases since the days of the bubonic plague in the middle ages.   The Vetinfo.com web site does warn that onions are unsafe for dogs and included the tasty vegetable on their list of toxins for dogs.
Left over onions, alone, may not be toxic but can easily pick up contamination from preparation utensils.   FoodHygieneTraining.com, a website in the United Kingdom offering expert food safety tips, suggests using different cutting boards when preparing meals and vegetables, to prevent cross-contamination.    The web site also warns that bacteria, viruses and parasites can grow in a matter of 20 minutes on a cutting board that was used for uncooked meat if not cleaned properly. It is not difficult for onions and other vegetables to pick up  such microorganism that are invisible to the naked eye.  Natural enzymes in vegetables may even inhibit growth.

If stored improperly, onions can eventually go bad.  The National Onion Association posted suggestions on their web site regarding the storage of unprepared onions recommending that be stored in a cool dry place where air can be allowed to circulate.  Depending on the type, onions can be last in storage between 30 to 180 days.  They also said that "Chopped or sliced onions can be stored in a sealed container in your refrigerator for up to 7 days."                                           goto TruthOrFiction Website for more

The myth extends both to the negative [as far back as 1855] and positive [1900] rumors about onions. Both extremes could lead to serious unintended results if taken too literally:

From the Snopes.com urban myth website which list the Chain E-Mail/eRumor as FALSE:

goto Mullins Food Products response to the facts in the email referring to them.

Original Message: remember this is a HOAX!

Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 19:05:15 +0000
From:
Subject: Fwd: Onions

Subject:


Fw: Onions
I found this very surprising.
ONIONS -- Who Would've  Thought?
  In 1919 when the  flu killed 40 million people, there was a Doctor who visited many  farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers  and their family had contracted it, and many  died.
     The  doctor came upon one farmer, and to his surprise,  everyone in the  household was very healthy.  When the doctor asked what the farmer  was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an  unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home (probably only two  rooms back then).  The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he  could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope.   She gave him one, and when he did this, he did find the flu virus  in the onion.  It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore,  keeping the family  healthy.
     Now,  I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ.  She said that  several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu  and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several  bowls with onions around in her shop.  To her surprise, none of her  staff got sick. It must work... (And no, she is not in the onion  business.)
     The  moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around  your home.  If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office  or under your desk or even on top somewhere..  Try it and see what  happens.  We did it last year, and we never  got the  flu.
     If  this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better.   If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild case...Whatever,  what have you to lose?  Just a few bucks on  onions!!!
     Now  there is a P.S. to this, for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who  regularly contributes material to me on health issues.  She replied  with this most interesting experience about onions:  Thanks for the  reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but I do know that I  contracted pneumonia, and needless to say I was very ill.  I came  across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion.  Put one  end on a fork, and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing  the jar next to the sick patient at night.  It said the onion would  be black in the morning from the germs.  Sure enough, it happened  just like that...the onion was a mess, and I began to feel  better.
     Another  thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the  room saved many from the black plague years ago.  They have  powerful antibacterial, antiseptic  properties.
     This  is the other note:  LEFTOVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS!  I have  used an onion which has been left in the fridge.  Sometimes I don't  use a whole one at one time, so I save the other half for later.   Now with this info, I have changed my mind.  I will buy  smaller onions in the  future.
     I  had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, makers of  mayonnaise.  Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and  sisters in the Mullins family.  My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO.   Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what  I learned from a chemist.  The guy who gave us our tour is named  Ed.  He's one of the brothers.  Ed is a chemistry expert and  is involved in developing most of the sauce formula.  He's even  developed sauce formula for McDonald's. Keep in mind that Ed is a food  chemistry whiz.
     During  the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise.   People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil.  Ed's  answer will surprise you.  Ed said that all commercially-made mayo  is completely safe.  "It doesn't even have to be refrigerated.   No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary."   He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that  bacteria could not survive in that environment.  He then talked  about the quintessential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting  on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets  sick.
     Ed  says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials  look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions  came from (in the potato salad?).  Ed says it's not the mayonnaise  (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors.   It's probably the onions, and if not the onions, it's the  POTATOES.
     He  explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked  onions.  You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced  onion.
He says it's not even safe if you  put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your  refrigerator.
     It's  already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit,  that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions  you put on your hotdogs at the baseball  park!)
  Ed says if you  take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay,  but if you slice that leftover onion and put it on your sandwich, you're  asking for trouble.  Both the onions and the moist potato in a  potato salad will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial  mayonnaise will even begin to break  down.
     So,  how's that for news?  Take it for what you will.  I (the  author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on.   For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist  and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every  year.
     Also,  dogs should never eat onions..  Their stomachs cannot metabolize  onions.
     Please  remember it is dangerous to cut onions and try to use it to cook the  next day.  It becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and  creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections  because of excess bile secretions and even food  poisoning.