Queasy Stomach? It’s Probably the Chicken

Chicken and other types of poultry were most commonly to blame for cases of food poisoning in 2006, according to statistics just released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Leafy green vegetables, fruits, and nuts also ranked high on the first-ever list of commonly contaminated foods compiled by federal researchers looking to pin point the causes of food poisoning. Each year, about 76 million Americans develop a type of food poisoning and 5,000 more die as the result of the condition.

Most food poisoning cases tied to contaminated chicken and poultry foods were caused by Clostridium perfringens, a common bacterium that results in diarrhea and abdominal cramps, usually within 10 to 12 hours of eating the contaminated food, the CDC said. The bacterium is a particular threat to consumers because it can survive heat from cooking. Preventing it requires strict attention to see that chicken is kept cold enough during processing and storage to discourage the bacteria from forming, officials said.

The CDC findings that chicken is the number one cause of food poisoning are a bit misleading, however. The study counted leafy vegetables, fruits, nuts, sprouts, and vegetables such as tomatoes and grapes that are grown on vines as separate categories. If counted together, all vegetables would have far surpassed chicken and poultry as the leading cause of food poisoning cases, officials clarified. So going green with your food will not necessarily protect you from a bad case of food poisoning.

Poor Hand-Washing Habits Often to Blame

About two-thirds of all food poisoning cases that are caused by one ingredient can be traced back to a single virus, most often the result of poor hand-washing procedures by restaurant workers. These bacterial infections commonly lead to a “stomach bug” that causes a few days of vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.

Another leading cause of food poisoning cases was salmonella, the bacteria recently linked to contaminated peanut butter and peanut products, tomatoes, and spinach, officials said. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and butter, were to blame for just three percent of all food poisonings. Of those, 71 percent were traced back to unpasteurized milk, researchers said.

Calls for Reforming FDA Continue

Researchers said the findings of how food poisoning spreads further underscores the need for tighter and more comprehensive controls on food processing facilities. The Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with various state agencies, are primarily responsible for ensuring cleanliness and proper procedures at food plants.

Both agencies have been criticized in recent years for failing to detect or being slow to control outbreaks of contaminated peanuts, pistachios, tomatoes, peppers, and other foods. Reforming the FDA to be better suited to handle its job or policing the nation’s food supply is a top priority for the Obama administration.

A bill that would rework the FDA’s current food-safety program is now making its way through Congress. FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg has said she supports the legislation, although she has asked for some changes to the proposed regulations.

We support the move to strengthen the FDA, USDA, and other government agencies responsible for policing the U.S. food supply. The efforts now under way in Washington, D.C. could go a long way toward giving consumers peace of mind that the food they are putting on their family’s dinner table is safe and free of dangerous contamination.

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