The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) wants consumers to know that they are most likely to contract food-borne illnesses from fruits and vegetables and not meat, as is commonly assumed.
CSPI used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make its assessment. It found that more than 18,000 cases between 1990 and 2002 were attributed to consumers eating fruits and vegetables. This number was well ahead of the number two cause linked to food-borne illness, poultry, with 9,612 reported cases.
Moderator's Comment: Should retailers take it upon themselves to evaluate the manufacturing/farming practices of vendors with which they do business? How can food retailers contain the negative publicity around reported cases of food-borne illness?
CSPI said that a variety of "sloppy farm practices" were responsible for the high incidence of contamination in produce. Most consumers do not know the farm where the produce was grown but they do know where they bought it. Bad news travels fast, so retail action needs to be doubly quick. [George Anderson - Moderator]