ABC: Top 10 Riskiest Foods

[Elmore Furth]

With this nationwide salmonella outbreak related to Subway and another related to alfalfa sprouts, here is a little list to feed your paranoia. Bon apetit!

LEAFY GREENS: 363 outbreaks involving 13,568 reported cases of illness
EGGS: 352 outbreaks involving 11,163 reported cases of illness
TUNA: 268 outbreaks involving 2341 reported cases of illness
OYSTERS: 132 outbreaks involving 3409 reported cases of illness
POTATOES: 108 outbreaks involving 3659 reported cases of illness
CHEESE: 83 outbreaks involving 2761 reported cases of illness
ICE CREAM: 74 outbreaks involving 2594 reported cases of illness
TOMATOES: 31 outbreaks involving 3292 reported cases of illness
SPROUTS: 31 outbreaks involving 2022 reported cases of illness
BERRIES: 25 outbreaks involving 3397 reported cases of illness





Food Safety: Protecting the Nation's Food

[peace frog]

1. Shucks, what's a little salmonella between friends

Botulism cocktails all round! :toast:

[trotsky]

2. That is a fascinating list.

Mainly because of the conspicuous absence of what one would EXPECT to find on such a list based on media coverage: MEAT. I wonder if tuna is on there because so many people like tuna steaks cold and rare.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

3. Raw milk too.

With all the gloom and doom you read about you'd expect it to be #1, #2, & #3...

[trotsky]

4. Very few people consume raw milk.

Lots of people consume meat.

So, statistically I am not surprised at all.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

5. Is the OP list based on risk (incidence) or event occurrence?

As per the title's usage of "riskiest", one would have assume it's based on incidence.
Incident rate is what generally factors into what is considered a risk.

If they only report risk based on number of cases (without weighting for total consumption) then the list is worthless as a risk indicator.

[Dorian Gray]

9. Not enough people drink it

in order for it to make the top 10.

[snagglepuss]

6. Why would potatoes be risky? My elderly Mom insists on eating potatoes

with the skins on which annoys me because of the pesticides but this is the first I've heard that pototes can be risky. Anyone know if the risk is only associated with unpeeled potatoes?

[trotsky]

7. Found an interesting link.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/poison.html

Bacillus cereus

B. cereus is found in dust, soil and spices. It can survive normal cooking as a heat-resistant spore, and then produce a large number of cells if the storage temperature is incorrect. Starchy foods such as rice, macaroni and potato dishes are most often involved. The spores may be present on raw foods, and their ability to survive high cooking temperatures requires that cooked foods be served hot or cooled rapidly to prevent the growth of this bacteria.

[snagglepuss]

8. I appreciate the info. Thanks muchly.

:hi:

[IcyPeas]

10. Have you heard they treat hamburger with AMMONIA?

Anthony Bourdain was on Rachel Maddow the other night and he mentioned this - he won't eat hamburger any more (and that guy will eat anything!)


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html

[Dorian Gray]

11. They showed this in

Food, Inc.

Very disturbing.