Friday, October 09, 2009
Ask any nutritionist and they’ll recommend leafy greens as part of a healthy diet. So then why are these vegetables No. 1 on a list of the riskiest foods approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)? In a word: pathogens. As rich in vitamins as spinach or kale are, they also can be loaded with dangerous bacteria if not washed properly before consuming.
According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, leafy greens account for almost one quarter of all reported cases of contaminated food that was approved by the FDA. In fact, the 10 riskiest foods listed in center’s latest report account for 40% of all food-borne outbreaks since 1990. These foods also were linked to more than almost 50,000 illnesses ranging from mild food poisoning to long-term disability and death. Even worse is the fact that for every case of salmonella that’s reported, another 38 go unaccounted for, according to the report.
The top 10 riskiest foods, along with the numbers of outbreaks and those sickened by them:
1. Leafy Greens (363; 13,568)
2. Eggs (352; 11,163)
3. Tuna (268; 2,341)
4. Oysters (132; 3,409)
5. Potatoes (108; 3,659)
6. Cheese (83; 2,761)
7. Ice Cream (74; 2,594)
8. Tomatoes (31; 3,292)
9. Sprouts (31; 2,022)
10. Berries (25; 3,397)
-Noel Brinkerhoff
The Ten Riskiest Foods Regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Center for Science in the Public Interest) (PDF)
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