The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating

[Lewis]

I got this email from a colleague the Tuesday after Memorial Day: “Can’t come in today. Stomach bug.â€
I’m no detective but—with barbeque season officially starting the day before—a prime suspect immediately jumped to mind: the norovirus, the most common cause of food poisoning in the world.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 200,000 Americans contract food poisoning every day. But Philip Tierno, Ph.D., a microbiologist at New York University medical center and author of The Secret Life of Germs, believes the actual number is closer to 800,000.
And in 4 of 5 of food poisoning cases, the attack happens at home—right (on the plate) under your nose.
"Everyone in this country will have at least one incident of sickness this year attributable to a foodborne virus, bacteria, or toxin," Tierno told Men’s Health. Except that most of us won't know what hit us. Like my colleague, we'll chalk up the usually mild symptoms—nausea, diarrhea, cramping—to a stomach bug that's going around.
We asked Men's Health contributor Jim Gorman to help us identify the 10 dirtiest foods we put on our plates. His report is shocking, in that it reads like the average American’s grocery list. Read on for the dirt about your favorite foods—and how to protect yourself at the supermarket and your dinner table.
Click here to see the Dirtiest Foods You're Eating slideshow.

The 10 Dirtiest Foods You're Eating

 

[handy]

I have to admit, Lewis, I rolled my eyes more than once reading through this.

Come on....buy free range chicken in order to not have Campylobacter jejuni contamination? Wash each leaf of lettuce out of bagged salad?

I think that there is a strong "organic farming" slant in the article. And, even with the freest of ranging chickens or a pristine raised bed for growing the veggies, one will still be subject to the same bacterias and dangers if one doesn't keep a clean kitchen and doesn't cook their food properly.

It's not that I'm against "organic" farming. It's just that the label carries with it a very high price. I'm not that willing to pay that much extra when simply following the same rules mom taught me (wash your hands, clean that counter, use a different knife) and cooking the food right will eliminate 90% of the problem.

Also, folks need to realize that the chickens, cows, and turkeys aren't going to be infected with the bacterias from being cooped. The contamination comes during the slaughtering process. So, just because one buys a "free range" chicken doesn't guarantee at all that there will be no contamination. It just means that your food was a lot happier during it's short life.

The one thing I did agree with was the one on the oysters. I remember when I was at Pawley's Island in South Carolina and everyone was slurping down raw oysters. I took one look at that and it was "no way" for me. Maybe if they were thoroughly cooked, but raw...un hun.

 

[yoamocuy]

800,000 people get food poisoning every day? That seems a bit high doesn't it? I mean if there are 350 million people in the states then that would mean within about 1.3 years everyone would have gotten food poisoning. I imagine I can find quite a few people who haven't had food poisoning in even the last 5 years, so are the same few people getting food poisoning all the time? Or is there a difference in contracting food poisoning and suffering from it?

 

[tim-from-pa]

This is just more government hype trying to grow bigger and bigger making the people think they "need" government protection. Frankly, that's why this country is in the state that it is when most politicians, agencies and government offices think more like Marxists than like the founding fathers. But that's another subject.

When I looked at the pictures of the food, 6/10 of them were from the meat category. More anti-meat propaganda. I hope these anti-meat people get a bad case of pernicious anemia. You don't want to know the painful symptoms and the poor prognosis once it's advanced. But if they did get it, I figure they get what they deserve and no pity from me.

 

[jasoncran]

I have to admit, Lewis, I rolled my eyes more than once reading through this.

Come on....buy free range chicken in order to not have Campylobacter jejuni contamination? Wash each leaf of lettuce out of bagged salad?

I think that there is a strong "organic farming" slant in the article. And, even with the freest of ranging chickens or a pristine raised bed for growing the veggies, one will still be subject to the same bacterias and dangers if one doesn't keep a clean kitchen and doesn't cook their food properly.

It's not that I'm against "organic" farming. It's just that the label carries with it a very high price. I'm not that willing to pay that much extra when simply following the same rules mom taught me (wash your hands, clean that counter, use a different knife) and cooking the food right will eliminate 90% of the problem.

Also, folks need to realize that the chickens, cows, and turkeys aren't going to be infected with the bacterias from being cooped. The contamination comes during the slaughtering process. So, just because one buys a "free range" chicken doesn't guarantee at all that there will be no contamination. It just means that your food was a lot happier during it's short life.

The one thing I did agree with was the one on the oysters. I remember when I was at Pawley's Island in South Carolina and everyone was slurping down raw oysters. I took one look at that and it was "no way" for me. Maybe if they were thoroughly cooked, but raw...un hun.

oysters and the like are used in my county to remove pollution from the river. do cook them, also the free range eggs i got from my boss were good but from another employee were often nasty as she seem not to clean them when given to you and were often bad when you cracked the egg open.

 

[Kitit]

In directly we can say that normally we use the wheat products in our daily life. If we observer then make the conclusion that wheat products are really good for the stomach.

 

[Rageprophet]

mmmmm raw oysters

 

[felix]

You are making me laugh.

Matt 15:11 "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." v18 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.

If you truly want to be healthy, you must follow what God said about it:

Prov 3:5-8 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.

When God said, every hair on your head is numbered, how can you get any food poisoning without His knowledge?

 

[kiwimac]

This is just more government hype trying to grow bigger and bigger making the people think they "need" government protection. Frankly, that's why this country is in the state that it is when most politicians, agencies and government offices think more like Marxists than like the founding fathers. But that's another subject.

When I looked at the pictures of the food, 6/10 of them were from the meat category. More anti-meat propaganda. I hope these anti-meat people get a bad case of pernicious anemia. You don't want to know the painful symptoms and the poor prognosis once it's advanced. But if they did get it, I figure they get what they deserve and no pity from me.

Oh please, there are no reds under these beds.

 

[G. White]

And in 4 of 5 of food poisoning cases, the attack happens at home—right (on the plate) under your nose.

Before I went any further in reading beyond this I was going to guess it was flies.

Think about it next time you're at a picnic and the burgers, hot dogs, rolls, salads are left out uncovered for extend periods. Would anyone here help themselves to the food if they found a few flies had already beat them to it?

Flies land on just about anything - garbage, sewage, carrion, etc.. and each of their tiny legs are capable of transporting hundreds of bacteria cells from one source to another. Once the bacteria lands on a fresh food source (i.e. burger, hot dog, roll, salad) it begins to multiply at a rapid rate.

 

[Lukas]

Very interesting stuff. Here i am writing 10 dry fruits list.
1. Banana and Sweet Potato cue
2. Steamed or grilled corn
3. Taho
4. Ice candy
5. Buko juice
6. Fisballs
7. Squidballs
8. Deep fried chicken skins
9. Dirty ice cream
10. Salted peanut