It kind of is your fault, though some products are defective by design. Food is normally produced outdoors being overflown by birds, and you know what birds do.

It kind of is your fault, though some products are defective by design. Food is normally produced outdoors being overflown by birds, and you know what birds do. You should simply assume that food is naturally coated in pathogens that you need to deal with. Never bite into food that isn't clean. Never slice it unless you will be cooking it afterward. You can clean by peeling, if this is possible without cutting. (bananas and citrus) You can clean by blanching, which is a brief exposure to boiling water. You can clean by washing with bleach, excepting the many foods (apples, cucumbers, etc.) that have been waxed to seal in the germs. Sadly, this normally means that raw apples and raw cucumbers are hopeless. Eh, maybe you can get the wax off with warm oil followed by ethanol. Realistically, you won't get these clean before cutting into them.