Food Poisoning Food Types

If you were asked, "What are the most common foods that give you food poisoning?" Would you know how to answer this? Well the newest studies show that the foods we are still worrying about homogenized and other treated products, that are no longer as much of a safety/health issue, and not realizing the products that have a true potential to make us sick.

Mayonnaise has long been considered as one of the most potentially dangerous foods, when it comes to food-borne illnesses. This is not the case anymore, though. For years now, food scientists have been working on making mayonnaise (which is a naturally made dressing from egg whites, vinegar, and salt) into a safe product. This has led to many preservatives and processes being used to ensure that that mayonnaise has to be far past its prime to be of any danger, even when left in the heat.

Chicken and other raw meats (especially fish) will always carry a risk of illness with them, as they are pieces of living creatures which had microorganisms living in them when they were killed. Cooking to the correct degree will ensure that these foods are safe to eat.

One food that you should very much be concerned with, though, is any product that is raw, and will not be cooked -- primarily fruits and vegetables. More people are sickened every year by fresh fruits and vegetables (that had been cross-contaminated), than by chicken, fish, and dairy products combined; though, it is essential to remember that those sickened by meats and dairy products had a much higher chance of death, than those sickened by fruits and vegetables.

CDC estimates state that 48 million Americans contract a food-borne illness every year -- with 128,000 of those sickened requiring hospitalization. The biggest concern for the CDC, in recent years, has not been for mayonnaise, or beef products, or poultry, or even shellfish... The biggest cause of sicknesses from food (including the Norovirus) is salads.

But, before your decide that salads are no longer healthy for you, realize that CDC experts stress that the dangers stemming from salads are only due to lack of correct handling, and that all of the ingredients in a fresh salad are much better for your body than any other choice. What they hope the public will realize -- consumers, growers, transporters, and purveyors alike -- is that much more care is needed when preparing these fragile foods. People need to realize that anytime they see a fruit or vegetable, it is "ready-to-eat," and it needs to be treated as such throughout all stages of preparation and cooking.