10 High-Risk Foods…most right in your Produce Aisle

Say it isn’t so! But alas, there’s a new study that’s been released by the Center for Science in the Public Interest—a nutrition advocacy group. According to the study, which reviewed data of foodborne illness outbreaks going back to 1990, the top 10 riskiest foods were responsible for more than 1,500 outbreaks, resulting in close to 50,000 reported illnesses. As CNNMoney.com reports today, the study lists these 10 foods as the riskiest in terms of foodborne illness outbreaks:

1. Leafy Greens
2. Eggs
3. Tuna
4. Oysters
5. Potatoes
6. Cheese
7. Ice Cream**
8. Tomatoes
9. Sprouts
10. Berries

The top culprits for foodborne illness are pathogens such as E.coli, Norovirus and Salmonella—resulting from food being either improperly washed, undercooked or not refrigerated properly.

**A bit surprised by this one? The culprit’s the eggs that are used—they may be undercooked, resulting in Salmonella contamination.

Tags: Food Illness

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 and is filed under Food Illness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.