Leafy greens, eggs and tuna are on the top of the Food and Drug Administration’s list of top 10 riskiest foods. Along with 7 other foods, they account for 40% of all food-borne illness outbreaks linked to FDA-regulated food. In a Center for Science in the Public Interest report, 363 outbreaks were linked to spinach, iceberg lettuce, romaine and other leafy greens, variously contaminated with E. coli, norovirus or salmonella, and causing 13,568 cases of illness. Manure, contaminated irrigation water or poor handling practices were possible causes for the outbreaks. More than 1,500 separate outbreaks were associated with the top 10 riskiest FDA-regulated foods causing nearly 50,000 reported illnesses. FDA is responsible for regulating nearly 80% of the food supply. CSPI said FDA currently does not require farms and processors to have written safety plans, nor does it provide specific safety standards.
Photo by Peggy Greb