The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
The ten foods in your shopping cart that are most likely to make you sick have been revealed.
Researchers at Consumer Reports ranked regularly purchased foods based on how many outbreaks, deaths and illnesses they had caused in the US between 2017 and 2022.
Their list included more than 200million units of recalls and 5,000 food poisoning cases. They found that leafy greens were the worst offenders, alongside cheeses and deli meats, ground beef and chicken and turkey.
But there were also some surprises — including onions and flour — with researchers saying outbreaks in these products were linked to contaminated irrigation water.
Brian Ronholm, the director of food policy at the New York-based group, said: ‘We aren’t saying people need to avoid these foods entirely. After all, these foods are all usually safe and many of them are in fact important parts of a healthy diet.
Shown above are the ten foods that are most likely to make you sick. The list is based on the number of recalls, illnesses and deaths linked to foods commonly bought in grocery stores between 2017 and 2022
‘But the list underscores the importance of following best food safety practices with all of your foods, including knowing how to track, and respond, to food recalls as they happen.’
About 48million Americans fall sick from salmonella, listeria and E.coli picked up in foods every year.
Most recover on their own after a few unpleasant days, but nearly 130,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die from foodborne illnesses annually.
Children under five years old, older people and pregnant women are at greatest risk beause they have a weaker immune system.
Outbreaks are often linked to E.coli, listeria and salmonella, bacteria which are often found lurking in the guts of animals. They can get into food via contaminated irrigation water or machinery in factories.
