Oct 6, 2009 11:00 am US/Pacific
Tuna, Eggs On FDA Riskiest Foods List
These Foods Accounted For Almost 40 Percent Of All Food-Borne Outbreaks
WASHINGTON (CBS News) ―
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Staples such as tuna, eggs and potatoes are now on the FDA hit list of most dangerous foods. (File)
AP
A consumer watch dog group is out today with a different kind of grocery list.
It contains the top ten foods that could make you sick. And what's on it might shock you.
Many of the foods that are supposed to be good for you could be the most likely to make you sick.
"Unfortunately what we found, some of the foods that are best for you nutritionally, can be the riskiest for you in terms of food borne illness," said Sarah Klein with the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
A report out today by the Center for Science in the Public Interest contains the top ten foods regulated by the FDA that have caused the most outbreaks.Leafy greens topped the list accounting for nearly a quarter of illnesses linked to contaminated foods -- more than 13,000 cases since 1990. Eggs came in second followed by tuna, oysters and --
"Things that we love like cheese and potatoes those are all among the top ten," says Klein.
Many of the items in the report are common products found on an every day grocery list and some of them may even surprise you.
"Ice cream! I'm surprised. How can ice cream be risky," laughs one shopper. A scoop of the sweet treat ranked seventh ahead of tomatoes and sprouts. Berries came in at number 10.
The CDC says an estimated 76 million cases of food-borne illness occur in the U.S. each year including five thousand deaths. Many more go unreported, leading experts to think the actual total is much higher.
"Most of these are preventable and it's just a matter of time before the next one strikes," Klein says.
Experts say cleaning your vegetables can only do so much. The FDA and the Department of Agriculture are teaming up to write new food safety rules for fresh produce so that a trip to the supermarket doesn't end with a trip to the hospital.
The list included these foods:
1. Leafy Greens
2. Eggs
3. Tuna
4. Oysters
5. Potatoes
6. Cheese
7. Ice Cream
8. Tomatoes
9. Sprouts
10. Berries
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