CDC Lists Foods That Account For The Worst Illness Outbreaks

DENVER (CBS4) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a list of which foods account for the worst outbreaks of illnesses.

There's always a concern when putting food in your mouth and it hasn't been properly washed or cooked. Still, most people don't associate eating leafy greens or meat with illness or something that may kill you.

It's the first comprehensive study of its kind by the CDC. It found that although leafy greens like spinach and lettuce accounted for the most food-related illnesses, meat, such as poultry caused the most deaths.

During the 11-year span of data used in the study, over 4,500 food-related disease outbreaks were used.

Leafy greens accounted for the most food-related illnesses at 46 percent. Foodborne disease outbreaks from chicken accounted for 29 percent of deaths. Translation -- while poultry and other meats typically don't make you sick, but when it does, it's deadly.

The agency also found that more than half of foodborne norovirus outbreaks were caused by sick food handlers, and more than 80 percent of outbreaks involved food prepared in commercial settings such as restaurants or catering businesses.

LINK: CDC: Tracking and Reporting Foodborne Disease Outbreaks