The Consumer Reports Organization – the largest universal non -profit organization for food control – issued its annual report on foods “that were the most vulnerable to withdrawal from the markets, or associated with cases of diseases in 2024”.
In the United States alone, food withdrawals due to potential bacteria “increased” 41% in 2024, compared to the previous year. “
The cases of confirmed food -bound disease increased by 20%, and the centers of control and prevention of diseases were estimated that “tens of millions of Americans have the disease annually, due to food bacteria,” according to the public interest group on consumer protection.
Although there is a risk associated with the foods listed on the list, this “does not mean to avoid eating it,” says the head of the food safety test department at the organization, Dr. James E Rogers, explaining that the classification of the organization aims to “help people understand how to deal with these foods correctly, and when some of them should be avoided to maintain health.”
Types of the most common bacteria in the outbreak of diseases
These are 3 types of the most common bacteria in the outbreak of diseases, according to the experts of the organization:
Salmonella, Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea cause 6 hours to 6 days of injury.
Irritable Eschorusian, Or “ECOLI” bacteria, which cause diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever, after 3 to 5 days of injury.
Lystia, It is characterized by the ability of immune systems in most people to resist them before they cause them the disease, but if the disease occurs – usually within two weeks of infection – it can cause fever, vomiting, diarrhea and muscle pain for a few days.
The most dangerous foods
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and the US Department of Agriculture, these are the 9 most foods that caused the spread of bacterial pollution for 2024:
Cold meat
The most famous of them is chicken breasts or turkey and romance, and is considered the most caused by the spread of foods transmitted in food in 2024, although it is always preserved in a cold condition.
This is due to the high possibilities of pollution in steria that can live and grow in cold temperatures, whether in the cooking and package of factories, or repeated dealing with cutting machines and sales tables.
To prevent infection, Dr. Rogers recommends “exposing cold meat to heat until it becomes very hot, and choosing previously packed cold meat, instead of meat that is cut on the table”, especially for pregnant women, or those under the age of five or over the age of 65, or who suffer from weak immune system.
Option
The cucumber, whether complete or slices in salads and vegetable dishes sold in the supermarket, are sometimes contaminated with bacteria, from animal waste in soil or irrigation water, or from the leakage of contaminated water with livestock waste near the location of its cultivation.
To prevent infection, consumer reports recommend choosing vegetables and perfectly healthy fruits, “because bacteria may enter from cracks easily”; And scrutiny and peeling to reduce the possibilities of infection.
Raw milk and cheese
In 2024, unpasteurized milk products were associated with the outbreak of salmonella in raw milk, and coli in cheese made of raw milk.
The bacteria in raw milk may come from the animal itself or are transmitted during the milking and treatment, but the pasteurization by heating the milk up to 230 ° C kills the salmonella bacteria and the bird influenza virus in the raw milk.
To prevent infection, consumer reports advise “not to drink raw milk, and to ensure that cheese is made of pasteurized milk.”
Senting cheeses
Fresh, soft white cheeses, such as wild cheese, vita, Mozarella, Kotija and Fresco, are considered dangerous foods, “because of its high content of water and low acids, allowing the legenda bacteria to grow.”
To prevent infection, consumer reports are advised to wash hands after dealing with these cheeses, and avoid soft species “unless they are cooked within a recipe”; And contenting with solid cheese such as cheddar cheese, genda or parmesan, Especially for pregnant women and people with weak immune system, “Solid cheese contains less water and is less likely to develop steria.”
Eggs
Because salmonella bacteria can pollute the inner part of the egg during its growth, and the dandruff is contaminated during its placement; Consumer reports recommend “getting rid of any eggs with a broken crust, and washing hands after touching eggs”; It also warns against washing eggs, “to avoid the spread of salmonella from the dandruff inward.”
To eliminate bacteria, it is advised to “cook eggs until both yolks and whiteness become coherent, and not to eat liquid scrambled eggs.”
Raw onions
Eating onions caused raw on many cases of spreading the disease over the years, due to its soil or polluted irrigation water.
In the United States – for example – investigators last year concluded that almost all people with coli’s collactory spread have eaten raw onion slices within the components of sandwiches in burger restaurants, where cuts and treatment in restaurant kitchens increases the chances of bacteria.
To protect from infection, despite the difficulty of ensuring the ingredients used by restaurants, consumer reports are advised, “to buy onions complete and healthy, cut them when preparing meals at home, and getting rid of the first layers before cutting, because the internal layers are less likely to pollution.”
Leafy vegetables
The danger of leafy vegetables, especially lettuce and spinach, lies in their cultivation near livestock farms, and irrigation with contaminated water from these farms may be a source of outbreak of coli bacteria.
To prevent infection, consumer reports recommend the most vulnerable groups “to avoid the powers or raw vegetables added to sandwiches, when eating outside the home.”
To reduce the risk of infection, it is advised to get rid of external lettuce leaves, and to use less vulnerable internal papers to pollution sources. And trying to buy water lettuce, which is planted in plastic seals, which is less likely to pollution with animal waste.
Poultry and cooked meat
According to consumer reports, “poultry and meat may constitute the risk of food transmitted, even if they are cooked when purchased,” as the stages of preparation may be exposed to the risk of pollution.
The routine tests of the US health officials have revealed the presence of listeria bacteria in some cooked poultry brands, which led to the withdrawal of approximately 12 million pounds of meat and ready -made poultry, which were used in hundreds of foods.
To prevent risks, it is recommended to heat these foods well, and when purchasing salads and sandwiches that contain cooked meat, “it should be made sure to cool them when purchasing them and keeping them cold until they are eating.”
Organic islands
Organic products can be contaminated with coli bacteria from fields or treatment factories. Therefore, cooking is an optimal option for the islands and vegetables that can be eaten raw, and it can reduce washing and exfoliation from bacteria.