Foods Associated with Foodborne Illness

Any food or beverage can contain bacteria and pathogens that will make you sick. Certain foods have a higher risk of hosting dangerous strains of bacteria that can cause nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and other gastrointestinal health problems.

The food poisoning attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have helped people harmed by contaminated foods or beverages, including clients in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and across the country. If you or a loved one has become seriously ill by food poisoning, contact our firm by calling 1-800-256-1050 or use our online contact form.

The list of foods often linked to food poisoning cases and foodborne illness outbreaks include:

• Hamburger
  Raw and undercooked ground beef can have dangerous strains of bacteria including E. coli 0157:H7. Ground beef has been blamed for at least 16 outbreaks of E. coli 0157:H7 in the past three years, according to CDC records. E. coli 0157:H7, which can lead to serious side effects such as Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), is so related to ground beef that the bacteria is sometimes referred to as “the hamburger disease”.
• Poultry
  Raw poultry can contain Salmonella and can also have Campylobacter jejuni bacteria, an organism that lives in the intestines of healthy birds. If the poultry is undercooked or food is cross contaminated by the raw chicken juices, these bacteria can cause fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps in humans and in some cases more serious complications. Poultry containing Campylobacter bacteria has been linked to Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
• Raw eggs
  Fresh eggs may contain Salmonella bacteria, so it’s important to cook them until the yolks are firm. The FDA estimates that one in fifty eggs are infected with Salmonella.
• Raw shellfish
  Oysters and other filter feeding shellfish that strain water for nutrients are particularly susceptible to any pathogens that may be present in the seawater, such as Vibrio vulnificus. Raw shellfish is also susceptible to viruses, such as norovirus, from people who prepare the shellfish.
• Unpasteurized Milk
  Raw milk can be very dangerous and it is not recommended that raw milk be consumed for any purpose. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that raw milk, “no matter how carefully produced, may be unsafe.” Raw milk may carry many pathogens, including Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli. Unpasteurized milk was blamed for 1,007 illnesses, 104 hospitalizations and two deaths from 1998 to 2005, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables
  Fruits and vegetables can carry pathogens from the soil or from water. They may be washed or irrigated with water contaminated by animal manure or human sewage.  Leafy greens are the produce most often associated with foodborne illness. Since 1996, leafy greens have accounted for 34 percent of outbreaks of microbial contamination, 10 percent of illnesses and one-third of deaths, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Twenty of the 24 outbreaks linked to leafy greens since 1996 involved E. coli 0157:H7 contamination.
• Raw Sprouts
  Alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts and other sprouts served raw on sandwiches and salads pose a challenge because the conditions under which the sprouts are grown are well-suited to growing microbes as well. Washing the sprouts will not remove the microbes. To reduce the risk of illness, do not eat raw bean, alfalfa, radish or clover sprouts.

Careful food preparation and hand washing before eating or making meals help protect against food poisoning. Still, foodborne illnesses remain an important public health problem in the United States.

The foodborne illness lawyers of Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have advocated for food safety on behalf of people harmed by contaminated food and water for nearly three decades. We understand the serious consequences of these illnesses. If you or a loved one has been harmed by contaminated food poisoning, contact our law firm to understand your legal rights. Call us at 1-800-256-1050 or use our online contact form.