13 Common Foods Most Likely To Give You Food Poisoning

Bacteria, viruses, and parasites can all contaminate food and leave you with a horrible night in the bathroom or emergency room. In some conditions, bacteria can grow rapidly within just 20 to 30 minutes!

The good news is that you generally only have to cook your food well and avoid cross-contamination. But, it’s best to know the specifics of what will keep you safe, which is why we’ve researched food preparation advice from the CDC, FDA, and NHS.

As someone who once endured a long, horrible night of food poisoning, I urge you to remember one thing: “When in doubt, throw it out!”

Chicken

In the U.S., chicken is the most consumed meat per person. It also causes around 1 million people to suffer from food poisoning every year.

The cause is almost always undercooked chicken, which poses the risk of contamination from Campylobacter, Salmonella, and Clostridium perfringens germs. You can also get sick by consuming anything that touches the raw chicken and its juices.

The CDC advises that you keep your chicken in a separate bag at the grocery store, at the bottom of your fridge, and that you clean all surfaces and items that come into contact with it.

Flour

Many people think flour is pretty harmless. But it’s a raw food that can contain nasty germs such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella.

Flour gets contaminated while it’s still in the field or during production. Grinding and bleaching doesn’t help in that respect; it’s only when it’s cooked or baked that the germs are killed. So be careful next time you’re spreading flour around — clean up properly and avoid eating it uncooked.

Raw Dough

Just like flour, dough is a potent germ spreader. We all know that cookie dough is absolutely delicious, but it might be best to only eat the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream variety rather than your fresh batter mix.

We’re not just talking about your homemade dough, either. Reports showed food poisoning outbreaks were linked to pre-made cake mixes in recent years, leading to recalls. However, some pre-made batters and doughs use heat-treated flour and no eggs. If that’s what you bought, you’re typically safe to enjoy it.

The CDC advises that you only eat baked dough and clean up well after handling raw ingredients.

Eggs

Eggs form a significant part of our diets, offering considerable versatility. But you should also be wary of the risks when consumed raw or undercooked.

Salmonella is the number one issue here. Even though egg processing standards have improved a lot in recent decades, about 79,000 people still get Salmonella from eggs each year, leading to around 30 deaths annually.

It’s advised that you avoid eating eggs with cracked or particularly dirt shells. If the recipe calls for raw or uncooked eggs, then opt for pasteurized eggs.

Raw Milk

For most people, it’s unlikely they’ll even buy raw milk. But if you ever do, be warned that it hasn’t gone through the pasteurization process of heating the milk to kill disease-causing germs such as Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella, and Salmonella.

Most farms will reduce contamination of raw milk through good practices, but they can’t guarantee total safety. This is why since the early 1900s pasteurization has become the norm.

People under 5, over 65, pregnant, or with a weakened immune system should be especially careful.

Leafy Greens

Raw leafy greens may seem harmless, but they can be home to a large number of bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria. This is particularly common with spinach, lettuce, cabbage, celery, and tomatoes.

As much as 85% of food poisoning outbreaks in the U.S. are caused by contaminated greens. It usually occurs during the supply chain, where water and dirt enter the soil and packaging.

To avoid food poisoning, remember to always wash your leaves before eating them raw, and don’t take chances with spoiled leaves and salads.

Melon

Any spoiled fruit can pose a threat, but melons such as cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew melons are prone to Listeria. This usually starts on the rind of the melon and spreads to the inside.

As melon is eaten raw, it’s advised that you always wash the exterior of the fruit and don’t take any chances with a melon that looks a bit funky. If you’re eating a pre-cut fruit salad, then ensure it’s been chilled.

Ground Beef

Raw ground beef can get contaminated by E. coli and cause truly brutal sicknesses. Even hamburgers made from ground beef qualify for this warning.

As always, the dangers involve undercooked meat and cross-contamination. Ensure that your burgers are hot (at least 155°F) and that you never take chances with any ground beef that has gone off-color or smells bad.

Fish

Well-cooked fish will generally prevent you from any risk of food poisoning. However, some fish can get contaminated and leave you with little prevention methods.

This includes Ciguatera (where the fish is contained by tiny algae) and Scombroid (where the fish hasn’t been sufficiently refrigerated).

Scombroid is the most common fish poisoning as you can’t even kill the bacteria via cooking. It can be treated with antihistamines. A warning sign of a scombroid-contaminated fish includes unusually peppery, sharp, or salty tastes.

Rice

Rice is one of the most consumed foods on earth. But, it’s also one to be very careful with (specifically with uncooked rice).

We’re not entirely sure why you’d eat uncooked rice, but we advise against it as it can carry sports of Bacillus cereus. You can also get poisoned via cooked rice that’s been left out at room temperature. The bacteria love those conditions and will grow fast.

Remember to refrigerate leftover rice and ensure reheated rice is steaming hot!

Oysters

Oysters are delicious, according to people with bigger dining budgets than mine, but they can also make you very sick if not cooked properly.

The culprit is vibriosis, an infection caused by vibrio bacteria that live in coastal waters. Oysters must be cooked well to kill the bacteria. Don’t fall for the myth that hot sauce and lemon will do the job.

Turkey

Much like chicken, turkey can house Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, and other germs. So take care around the holiday season, especially when it comes to cross-contamination and the juice of the bird.

One of the biggest causes of sickness is when bacteria grow in cooked turkey left out at room temperature. Many people tend to do this while celebrating the holidays, unaware that bacteria is growing at a rapid rate and set to make the leftovers a disaster.

To avoid sickness, freeze and thaw the turkey safely and ensure the stuffing and meat is cooked thoroughly.

Sprouts

Here’s another reason to not like sprouts — they pose a high risk of food poisoning by potentially carrying Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria.

Bacteria grow in the warm, moist conditions required for sprouts to grow. Thankfully, cooking them will kill the bacteria and keep your stomach safe. Keep in mind that the FDA advises against the consumption of raw sprouts by all pregnant women.