Leafy Greens, Sprouts, and Berries Among ‘Most Dangerous Foods,’ Consumer Group Says

A look at the list of foods most likely to cause food poisoning that was just released by a leading consumer rights group offers some surprises. Who would have thought that eating leafy greens, sprouts, and berries could put you in the hospital?

That’s the finding of the report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which says many seemingly healthy foods carry the greatest risk of infections or toxins. Each year, about 76 million Americans come down with some form of food poisoning, many with potentially deadly strains of the illness.

Outbreaks of peanuts, spinach, beef, and other foods tainted with various bacteria have been blamed for massive recalls and millions of illnesses in recent years. The frail and elderly, young children, and people with weakened immune systems are at the greatest risks of severe and deadly food poisoning complications, officials say.

Group Names Top 10 List

The consumers group studied data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on food poisoning outbreaks since 1990. Leafy greens (such as lettuce and spinach) were tops on the list and found to be involved in 363 outbreaks accounting for about 13,600 illnesses, including those traced back to norovirus, E. coli, and salmonella bacteria.

According to a WebMD.com report, the other foods that cracked the Top 10 most common causes of good poisoning included:

• Eggs, involved in 352 outbreaks and 11,163 reported cases of illness.

• Tuna, involved in 268 outbreaks and 2,341 reported cases of illness.

• Oysters, involved in 132 outbreaks and 3,409 reported cases of illness.

• Potatoes, involved in 108 outbreaks and 3,659 reported cases of illness.

• Cheese, involved in 83 outbreaks and 2,761 reported cases of illness.

• Ice cream, involved in 74 outbreaks and 2,594 reported cases of illness.

• Tomatoes, involved in 31 outbreaks and 3,292 reported cases of illness.

• Sprouts, involved in 31 outbreaks and 2,022 reported cases of illness.

• Berries, involved in 25 outbreaks and 3,397 reported cases of illness.

Study Authors Warn of More Problems

Beef, pork, poultry, and some egg products which are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were not included on the list, and those foods certainly account for their fair share of food poisoning cases. Also, many people who develop a form of food poisoning do not seek medical treatment or report their illness to authorities, which means millions more people could be getting sick from tainted food than official estimates say.

Some food-safety experts warn the study’s findings are just “the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to food-borne illnesses.

No related posts.