These are the 10 foods that are most likely to cause food poisoning, and here are some reasons why
Modern fridge essentials like romaine lettuce salads and unbaked cookie dough have a history of containing bugs that might make you ill.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that up to 48 million Americans get sick each year from Salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other Food-borne bacteria and viruses. Diarrhea and vomiting, which are signs of many illnesses, can cause dehydration. Although food poisoning usually clears up after a few uncomfortable days, it can occasionally be fatal or require medical care.
Fortunately, most foods can be safely consumed after a quick wash or bake. Food safety specialists have previously told Insider that the bulk of pathogens in food can be eliminated at high temperatures or avoided with shrewd kitchen cleanliness.
According to data on food recalls and food-related illnesses gathered by the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Department of Agriculture between 2017 and 2022, Consumer Reports produced a list of the top 10 riskiest foods on March 30.
Below is their list of the foods that are the most frequently contaminated, along with information on safe consumption.
- Leafy vegetables
According to Consumer Reports, outbreaks connected to romaine lettuce and bagged salads resulted in more fatalities than any other product category in the previous five years.
Water used to irrigate lettuce fields is one potential source of contamination: If manure from a neighboring feedlot enters the lettuce irrigation system, bacteria from an animal’s excrement may wind up in your salad.
614 persons contracted E. coli or listeria illnesses between 2017 and 2022, all of which could be linked to leafy greens. Eleven of them passed away.
The most prominent recalls in 2021 involved two large batches of bagged salads produced by Dole and Fresh Express. Salad greens have a higher chance of making you ill because they are typically consumed raw and most consumers don’t rewash pre-packaged lettuce.
The outer leaves of lettuce are more likely to be contaminated by bacteria, so try purchasing complete heads of lettuce and plucking them, advised Consumer Reports’ experts. Cooking kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard instead of eating them raw is an additional option.
- Deli meat and cheese
Due to listeria infection, food safety organizations have recalled various batches of lunch meats like salami, ham, and sausage as well as sliced cheeses and soft cheeses like brie.
Listeria is a bacterium that can endure the chilly conditions of your refrigerator, giving it an especially nefarious danger. The entire deli counter may become infected with the tough bacterium if one piece of salami or cheese comes into contact with unclean hands.
Hospitalization is necessary for more than 90% of listeria infection patients, according to the FDA. Pregnant women who contract the illness may potentially experience miscarriages and stillbirths.
Prepackaged foods are preferable to deli meats and cheeses for those who are pregnant or have a high risk of illness.
- Beef mince
Dangerous forms of salmonella and E. coli could be present in packaged ground beef. Between 2017 and 2022, 643 people became unwell as a result of these germs, which can move from a cow’s intestines to your plate.
416 of those illnesses were brought on by the more prevalent germ, salmonella. Yet, some E. coli strains can cause recalls even before anyone becomes ill because they are so deadly.
Throughout the five-year analysis period, more than 13.7 million pounds of ground beef were recalled because of bacterial contamination.
According to Consumer Reports, ground beef is also thought to be more harmful than whole cuts because bacteria can contaminate the entire package and spread rapidly in a facility where meat is ground.
- Onion
As far as we are aware, no one has perished after consuming a tainted onion, but at least 2,167 people have become unwell as a result of the layered vegetable in the previous five years.
According to an FDA report, the majority of those incidents were linked to two significant onion recalls in 2020 and 2021 that involved onions that may have been contaminated at a packing facility or irrigated with bacteria-filled water. investigation.
Onions are frequently cooked, which eliminates the majority of food-borne bacteria, but eating them raw can be dangerous, according to Consumer Reports, which also advised against washing them beforehand. Faster decay.
- Turkey
Salmonella is particularly common in poultry, in part due to the possibility of bacterial dissemination during the plucking of chickens and turkeys. Packages of ground meat as well as the breasts and other parts of the birds’ bodies may be infected.
According to Consumer Reports, 398 individuals reported becoming ill after eating turkey between 2017 and 2022.
- Chicken
While farmers are required to test their animals for the bacteria, regulations allow for a startling 25% of ground chicken that may test positive for salmonella at any given processing plant, according to Consumer Reports. The USDA permits poultry producers to sell chicken that may contain some amount of the bacteria.
The CDC advises cooking chicken and turkey to an internal temperature of 165° F to reduce the risk of contracting salmonella.
It goes without saying that raw chicken should not be consumed. However, fewer people are aware that chicken shouldn’t be washed before cooking. James E. Rogers, head of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, advises against rinsing raw meat since it increases the possibility of bacterial contamination of the sink and cooking area.
- Papayas
A salmonella epidemic involving 62 persons in eight states was reported by the CDC in 2019. They were all poisoned, the FDA concluded, by entire, fresh papayas smuggled from Mexico.
Due to the possibility that foreign nations may not have the same inspection standards as the FDA, imported fruit may pose a danger of disease transmission. The NIH reports that between 2017 and 2019, five outbreaks of infections caused by various salmonella strains were connected to imported papayas.
- Peaches
According to the report, the FDA has recalled more than 113 million pounds of peaches owing to salmonella infection.
When peaches farmed in California were connected to sickness outbreaks in at least 17 states in 2020, the majority of those peaches were recalled.
According to Consumer Reports, peaches appear to share a bacterial contamination pathway with leafy greens. Salmonella strains commonly found in cattle proved positive in several of the peach orchards involved in the 2020 recall, which may have been caused by contaminated crop dust or nearby feedlots.
- Cantaloupe
Before being sold, cantaloupes and other melons are frequently sliced into cubes or balls. Cutting into vegetables may transmit bacteria from its surface to its flesh, increasing the risk of contamination.
By cleaning and chopping your own fruit, you can reduce the risk of listeria or salmonella contamination, which could persist in your refrigerator. To get rid of dirt, bacteria, and pesticides, wash the fruit’s exterior before slicing it.
- Flour
Another salmonella outbreak connected to uncooked flour was recently announced by the CDC, affecting 12 people from 11 different states. The majority of them claimed to have consumed raw batter or dough before getting sick.
The FDA cautioned that even a small amount of undercooked dough could be enough to make you feel ill to your stomach. Also, although raw flour must be cooked before consumption, raw eggs aren’t the only component that should be avoided.
William Marler, a food safety attorney, recently told Insider that heat-treating flour in the oven or microwave will kill salmonella and any other dangerous organisms. You can also get heat-treated flour in supermarkets.
E. coli has also been discovered in brownie and cake mixes, most recently making 16 people ill in 2021.
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