This list contains the foods most likely to make you sick. Really sick. The Centers for Disease Control report that 5,000 people die each year from what they eat! Depending on how risk-averse you are, see which of the foods on this list make your “never, ever, ever” list! Some of these foods seem innocent enough, and you may be surprised they made the list.
Oysters
Oysters just kinda look sick, don’t they?
There’s no way of knowing if the oysters came from contaminated waters containing Vibrio or Norovirus. And Vibrio is in the same family as cholera! Cooking them through is a good defense, or just pass on the mollusks. (This tip saves you some money, too… those little suckers are expensive!)
Leafy Greens
We thought we were being healthy by eating our greens. Turns out we may have just dodged a bullet all along!
Greens can carry E. Colia or Salmonella into your salad bowl. It makes sense when you think about where your iceberg or spinach comes from, exposed to animal poo and potentially contaminated water.
If you’ve been looking for an excuse to skip that salad… you’re welcome.
Eggs
Salmonella is also the culprit when it comes to eggs that can send you to the ER. They look innocent enough refrigerated in their break-proof cartons at the local grocery store. But think of where they come from (hint: which part of the chicken), and you’ll understand why they carry the risk of giving you a feces-borne illness.
Your best bet is to give the eggshells a nice bath before preparing them and cook the white and the yolk all the way through.
Undercooked Meat
This seems like a no-brainer… no bloody burgers. Surprisingly, this can also include deli meats like ham, salami, or other cured meats.
Heat is your friend. Click here for a quick refresher on the proper temperatures your meats should reach before you eat them, along with other foods such as casseroles and leftovers.
Leftovers
Yes, eating leftovers from a meal that was perfectly safe (in its time) can make you deathly ill. Don’t chance it if they are more than a day old; this is especially true for pregnant women.
If you want to make your leftovers safe for lunch tomorrow, you’ve gotta move quickly. Once you’re done with your meal, immediately put the leftovers in a container with a lid and hustle it into the fridge.
Reheat them straight out of the fridge to a temperature of 165 degrees or hotter.
Tuna
Tuna and other large fish that come from the ocean can contain a lot of mercury. It's a highly toxic metal that damages your brain and other parts of your body.
If you must have golden snapper, tuna, or swordfish, limit it to two meals a week and six ounces or less per serving.
Potatoes
Say it isn’t so! Not our beloved potato!
Potatoes are always cooked before eating. How could it all go so wrong? The experts say they go bad, and bacteria thrive on starch.
In fact, you might think mayonnaise is to blame for making you sick after eating potato salad, but the fault lies with the potato itself. It could also be the raw onions, which are basically bacteria magnets.
Cheese
Cheese is downright delicious! A lot of the problem comes from the production phase when cheese is made by curdling or molding. Soft cheeses are considered the most dangerous. Bye-bye, brie and ricotta. It’s safer to opt for hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan.
Unpasteurized dairy products of any kind can make you really sick. The pasteurizing process is what kills off harmful germs.
Ice Cream
This just doesn’t seem fair. It’s delicious and frozen!
Ice Cream can also carry loads of dangerous bacteria. Homemade frozen treats are the biggest culprits, but outbreaks of Salmonella and Staphylococcus occur in commercially manufactured ice cream as well.
Tomatoes
That sneaky Salmonella often hitches a ride home on your tomatoes. It can also be inside the fruit, getting in through the plants' flowers or roots. This spells a big health risk if eating the tomatoes raw or just lightly cooked.
Sprouts
Sprouts are the part of the seed or bean that first shoots out as the plant begins growing. Scientists say the literal root of the problem is the seeds that can get contaminated either out in the field or during storage.
Sprouts are an absolute no-go for pregnant women.
Berries
One farm worker with Hepatitis A can contaminate entire crops of berries, even if the fruit has been frozen before serving.
In addition to giving strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries a good wash before serving, they need to be refrigerated quickly, especially if you’ve cut them. Heat also makes berries more dangerous, and they should never be served if they’ve been in temperatures above 90 degrees for more than one hour.
Tell Us What You Think