And the #1 Source of Food Poisoning in the U.S. Is... - Food News - Cooking

And the #1 Source of Food Poisoning in the U.S. Is…

2 Comments | Written on January 30, 2013 at 1:00 pm, by Lesley Kennedy

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If you’ve always been annoyed by those who continually tell you to eat your spinach, kale and lettuce, well, here’s your chance shut down their salad orders. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds the number one source of food poisoning is leafy greens, the Associated Press reports.

Take that, Popeye!

Around one out of five food-related illnesses were caused by the vegetables, according to the report, with almost half of all poisonings coming from “produce in general.” The culprit is often norovirus, which, the AP notes, can be spread in the kitchen by those handling the food.

But, sorry, our greens-adverse friends. The CDC report is quick to state that folks should still eat their veggies, so just be sure to wash your produce.

“Most meals are safe,” Dr. Patricia Griffin, an author of the study, tells the AP.

And it’s not just veggies getting a bad rap — actor Ashton Kutcher tells USA Today an all-fruit diet landed him in the hospital recently.

“First of all, the fruitarian diet can lead to, like, severe issues,” Kutcher, who went on the fruit frenzy to play former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, tells the newspaper. “I went to the hospital, like, two days before we started shooting the movie. I was, like, doubled over in pain. My pancreas levels were completely out of whack. It was really terrifying … considering everything.” We’re assuming he’s, like, talking about the fact Jobs died from pancreatic cancer.

So, the lesson here? Wash your spinach, and man can not live on fruit alone. We’re just gonna play it safe and stick with Girl Scout cookies.