The Center For Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) put out a new PDF report of the 10 riskiest foods.*
*Regulated by the FDA
The FDA regulates produce, seafood, dairy, and shell eggs. They aren't in charge of meat - otherwise it's likely that you'd see ground beef on this list. Another factor that should be considered is how often a food is actually consumed in this country. Leafy greens are consumed frequently in salads and sandwiches, whereas oysters are (for most people) a rare treat. That means that while leafy greens might be responsible for more overall outbreaks and cases of food poisoning, an eater might face greater risk by eating oysters. All caveats aside, here's the list:
1. Leafy greens
2. Eggs
3. Tuna
4. Oysters
5. Potatoes
6. Cheese
7. Ice cream
8. Tomatoes
9. Sprouts
10. Berries
What many of these foods have in common is that they are delicate, hard to wash, and often consumed raw (sprouts, berries, and leafy greens). The egg incidents are interesting, as half occurred in restaurants "and other food establishments" and many actually occurred in prisons! More than 70% of tomato outbreaks were linked to restaurants, as were 40% of potato outbreaks (often to potato salad).
My tips to reduce your risk:
1. Buy local from someone you know and trust
2. Skip the bagged, washed leafy greens
3. Grow your own (and in the case of sprouts, be careful to get seeds that aren't tainted)
4. Get some backyard chickens (seriously!)
5. Cook your own food instead of eating out
6. Thoroughly cook your eggs (don't eat them runny - especially in restaurants)
7. Properly refrigerate potato salad and other foods
8. Beware of undercooked eggs in homemade ice cream
Notably not on this list are raw milk and almonds. |
