A recent survey by Consumer Reports identified deli meat as the riskiest food in the US for foodborne illnesses, citing a spike in food recalls and food-related health problems. Data from the CDC, FDA, and Department of Agriculture revealed a 41% increase in recalls for food contamination in 2024, with confirmed illnesses rising by 20%. The most notable outbreak involved Boar's Head products, leading to numerous hospitalizations and deaths, emphasizing the dangers associated with improperly handled deli meats.
At the top of the food poisoning pyramid was deli meat, which resulted in 165 illnesses and 87 hospitalizations due to listeria. This innocuous-seeming sandwich staple makes consistent appearances on CR lists due to its frequent handling and the fact that listeria bacteria are frequently found at processing plants and on deli counters.
The stomach-churning report comes following a 41% increase in food recalls due to 'possible contamination with salmonella, E. coli, and listeria in 2024 compared with the year before,' CR reported. Meanwhile, confirmed cases of foodborne illness soared by 20 percent while associated hospitalizations and deaths more than doubled from the same time last year.
Collection
[
|
...
]