Each year, 48 million Americans come down with a foodborne illness. An estimated 128,000 become hospitalized, and 3,000 die. There are some things people can do to avoid getting sick, however.
According to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some foods come with a higher risk of food poisoning (a type of foodborne illness) than others. Raw chicken can contain campylobacter, salmonella and clostridium perfringens germs — leading to 1 million poisonings every year.
Raw flour is another culprit, alongside raw milk. Raw ingredients are just the beginning, though.
According to the CDC’s latest data, more than 75% of salmonella illnesses in the U.S. from 1998 to 2021 were attributed to seven basic foods: chicken, fruits, pork, seeded vegetables (such as tomatoes), other produce (such as nuts), beef and turkey. More than 80% of E. coli illnesses were linked to beef and vegetable row crops (such as leafy greens).
Listeria cases were mostly contributed (more than 75%) to dairy products, fruits and vegetable row crops.
It is important to note, however, that food contamination patterns can change through the years. According to a much larger CDC study of food poisoning from 1998 to 2008, produce accounted for nearly half (46%) of all illnesses, particularly leafy vegetables contaminated with norovirus. Beef, pork, game and poultry accounted for significantly fewer `cases than other food categories, but were linked to 29% of all deaths. Poultry alone accounted for 19% of recorded deaths.
The high rate of meat-related food poisoning deaths was partially caused by three large Listeria outbreaks involving processed deli turkey meats through the years. The ever-changing patterns of food contamination make it difficult for researchers to pin down which are going to be the largest threats each year.
The CDC provides detailed information on current food safety recalls, such as a current salmonella outbreak tied to cucumbers, which can be found here. If you have contaminated food linked to a current recall in your fridge, detailed instructions on how to clean your refrigerator can be found here.
