The bit about E. coli is also a bit of a scare tactic -- while E. coli outbreaks have gotten a decent amount of public press in the past decade or two, they don

The bit about E. coli is also a bit of a scare tactic -- while E. coli outbreaks have gotten a decent amount of public press in the past decade or two, they dont even show up in the top 5 food-borne pathogens, by infection rate [1]. (They are however #5 in infections causing hospitalization.) Most foodborne illnesses are actually caused by pathogens on fruits and vegetables [2], especially leafy ones [3]. Of course, this is not a reason to avoid eating produce. The majority of these diseases can be traced to their (human) food handlers, and fruits and vegetables are more likely to be eaten uncooked (or less cooked) than meats. [1] http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.html http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/2011-foodborne-estimates.... [2] http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/attribution-image.html#foodborne-illnesses http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/attribution-image.html#fo... [3] http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/attribution-1998-2008.html http://www.cdc.gov/foodborneburden/attribution-1998-2008.htm...