Food-borne Illness from Fresh Produce

What is food-borne illness?

Food-borne illness is caused by pathogens--bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Shigella), parasites (Giardia, Cyclospora, Cryptosporidium), and certain viruses (hepatitis A). Typical symptoms of food-borne illness include diarrhea, abdominal cramping, fever, headache, vomiting, and exhaustion. It is estimated that more than 76 million Americans will become sick from food-borne illness each year. Young children, the elderly, and individuals with compromised immune systems are particularly susceptible to food-borne illness.

What are the most common sources of food-borne illness?

Poultry is the food most often contaminated with illness-causing pathogens. Unpasteurized juices and foods made with raw or undercooked eggs are also common culprits in food-borne illness. Fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) is an increasing source of risk for food-borne illness, partly because the United States imports more produce from developing countries than ever before. Research has shown that imported produce is three to four times more likely to be contaminated than U.S. grown foods. However, labeling of produce's country of origin is not currently required. In 2000, food-borne illness from produce occurred almost as frequently as illnesses related to contaminated beef, poultry, seafood, and eggs.

How does produce become contaminated with illness-causing pathogens?

Contamination can occur from the water used to irrigate crops. It can also occur if manure is used as a fertilizer or if there are animals are in the fields or packing areas. The poor hygiene of workers handling the produce can cause contamination. Mexican green onions, Guatemalan raspberries, Mexican cantaloupes, and Mexican tomatoes have caused recent outbreaks of produce-related food-borne illness.

How do you avoid food-borne illness?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitors eggs, dairy products, produce, and foods other than meats and poultry. The FDA advises consumers to use safe handling and preparation practices for fresh produce. Here are some tips for avoiding food-borne illness:

• Thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before eating them. (Although commercially available fruit and vegetable washes can remove most pesticide residue, washing may not remove pathogens.)
  
• Peel produce and remove the outer leaves of lettuce and other leafy vegetables.
  
• Avoid cross-contamination of foods (preparing a contaminated food such as raw poultry with kitchen utensils and reusing the utensils without first washing them.)

What is the FDA doing to minimize food-borne illness?

In 2004, the FDA established an action plan to minimize food-borne illness related to fresh produce consumption. The action plan covers all fresh fruits and vegetables and includes all stages of production from farm through preparation and consumption. The action plan has four goals:

1. To prevent contamination of fresh produce by developing guidelines for fresh produce production and better hygiene at retail;
   
2. To minimize the impact on public health when contamination of fresh produce occurs by increasing sampling of fresh produce and enhancing outbreak reporting systems;
   
3. To improve communication with growers, producers, preparers, and consumers by increasing interaction among federal, state, and local food safety agencies and foreign governments; and
   
4. To support research on fresh produce.

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