10 Risky Foods That Can Cause Foodborne Illnesses

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that each year 48 million people become infected with salmonella, listeria, E. coli, or other bacteria or viruses in food.

Most recover on their own after a few difficult days, but nearly 130,000 people are hospitalized and 3,000 die annually from foodborne illnesses.

Children under 5 years of age, the elderly, and those who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system are most at risk.

To investigate which foods are often associated with these types of illnesses, food safety experts, according to Consumer Reports, point to 10 foods they consider risky.

Leafy vegetables

Under this heading falls the contaminated romaine lettuce and packaged salad, which cause “Escherichia coli” and “Listeria”.

These vegetables caused the most deaths, 50, compared to 30, which were caused by chicken, turkey and ground beef combined.

Listeria bacteria multiply in damp and cold environments, such as refrigerators and food processing plants, and it is known that killing them is difficult. Vegetable salad is eaten raw, while heating kills these bacteria.

Cheese and cold cuts

Under this heading are sausages, salami, cheese slices, and soft cheese. As we mentioned, listeria spreads in cold temperatures.

In addition, according to the Consumer Reboot, you have to think about each time a piece of cheddar cheese or salami is moved back and forth between the box and the cutter.

If one package of meat or cheese contains bacteria, it can spread to other packages. Wearing gloves helps prevent the spread of bacteria, but not if they are not changed.

The site warns that infection in pregnant women can lead to miscarriage, and what we can do is buy packaged ready-made meat and cheese because some research indicates that it may be less likely to contract a disease than listeria infection.

Better yet, avoid deli meats entirely, or at least drastically reduce the number of times you eat them.

frozen meat

Bacteria can multiply during the period of taking out frozen meat to thaw before cooking, so you must thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator, and do not take it out until immediately before cooking, and cool leftovers immediately.

When cooking, make sure the meat gets hot enough to kill bacteria. For ground beef, the proper temperature to kill bacteria is 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and for whole cuts, it’s 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

onions

Onions are also a risky food, but fortunately, they are often cooked, but when choosing onions, you should avoid an onion that is partially damaged, because bacteria can more likely enter the damaged food.

There is no need to refrigerate onions, but you should keep them in a well-ventilated area, out of the sun.

And never wash onions in advance, as the moisture can make them rot faster. Wash them before you use them.

Chicken and turkey

Salmonella is especially prevalent in chicken and turkey, in part because removing feathers from them can spread the bacteria, and because of the extra handling required to cut the birds into pieces.

What you can do is be careful when shopping, and cook foods at a high temperature, and washing chicken is a bad idea, because salmonella spreads in the meantime.

Papaya, peach, watermelon, and cut cantaloupe

Problems most often arise when fruits are cut into cubes or balls before selling. When you cut the fruits, you increase the risk of transferring bacteria that may be on the surface to the flesh.

In general, you should avoid buying pre-cut fruit, especially if you are at high risk of foodborne illness complications.

Instead, buy whole fruits and cut them yourself at home. When choosing whole fruits, avoid fruits that are bruised or damaged. Washing primarily helps remove dirt and some pesticides, not bacteria, but it’s still worth doing.